<div dir="ltr"><div><p>The Indian Air Force on Saturday displayed its precision strike capability in a pre-scheduled firepower demonstration at a time when military options are being discussed within the government to avenge the massacre of 49 CRPF men in a terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this week.</p><p>IAF’s MiGs, Jaguars, Mirages and Sukhois pounded the ground with heavy-duty bombs and took out simulated enemy targets with precision ammunition, air-to-ground missiles and rockets in two hours of firepower demonstration at Chandhan Air Force range near here.</p><p>The targets simulated include terrorists outpost and vehicle convoy inside enemy territory as well as conventional ones like an enemy airbase, ammunition dump and fuel storage.</p><p>Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa witnessed the action in the desert. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dropped out at the last moment because of other commitments.</p><p>"We are showcasing our ability to hit hard, hit fast and hit with precision, hit during the day, hit during the night and hit under adverse weather conditions,” Dhanoa said.</p><p>Planned months in advance, the once-in-three years firepower demonstration assumes fresh significance in the wake of the terrible tragedy at Pulwama in which 49 CRPF men were killed in a suicide mission by a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist, who drove a car laden with nearly 150 kg explosives into the convoy.</p><p>The drill also has two segments to showcase how quickly commando teams can be inserted into enemy territory using C-130J Super Hercules and An-32 aircraft.</p><p>“We showcase our ability to punish, our ability to insert and extricate troops from hostile territories. We have an ever-present sub-conventional threat as the enemy knows he can’t defeat us in a conventional conflict,” Dhanoa said.</p><p>Another notable feature was the destruction of the enemy’s missile launchers. As night descended Su-30, Jaguars and MiG 27 Upgrades besides the Mi-17V5 and Mi-35 helicopters destroyed the enemy targets with accuracy, demonstrating IAF’s operational capability by night.</p><p>Vayu Shakti 2019 comes a year after Exercise Gagan Shakti where the IAF showcased its ability to fight a two-front by quickly moving the troops from the western front to the east.</p><p>“As many as 137 aircraft will participate in Vayu Shakti 2019, making it one of the IAF's biggest firepower demonstrations,” IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal Anil Khosla said here on Tuesday.</p><p>Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, an honorary IAF officer, was also among the audience. </p></div></div>
<div dir="ltr"><div><p>The Indian Air Force on Saturday displayed its precision strike capability in a pre-scheduled firepower demonstration at a time when military options are being discussed within the government to avenge the massacre of 49 CRPF men in a terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this week.</p><p>IAF’s MiGs, Jaguars, Mirages and Sukhois pounded the ground with heavy-duty bombs and took out simulated enemy targets with precision ammunition, air-to-ground missiles and rockets in two hours of firepower demonstration at Chandhan Air Force range near here.</p><p>The targets simulated include terrorists outpost and vehicle convoy inside enemy territory as well as conventional ones like an enemy airbase, ammunition dump and fuel storage.</p><p>Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa witnessed the action in the desert. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman dropped out at the last moment because of other commitments.</p><p>"We are showcasing our ability to hit hard, hit fast and hit with precision, hit during the day, hit during the night and hit under adverse weather conditions,” Dhanoa said.</p><p>Planned months in advance, the once-in-three years firepower demonstration assumes fresh significance in the wake of the terrible tragedy at Pulwama in which 49 CRPF men were killed in a suicide mission by a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist, who drove a car laden with nearly 150 kg explosives into the convoy.</p><p>The drill also has two segments to showcase how quickly commando teams can be inserted into enemy territory using C-130J Super Hercules and An-32 aircraft.</p><p>“We showcase our ability to punish, our ability to insert and extricate troops from hostile territories. We have an ever-present sub-conventional threat as the enemy knows he can’t defeat us in a conventional conflict,” Dhanoa said.</p><p>Another notable feature was the destruction of the enemy’s missile launchers. As night descended Su-30, Jaguars and MiG 27 Upgrades besides the Mi-17V5 and Mi-35 helicopters destroyed the enemy targets with accuracy, demonstrating IAF’s operational capability by night.</p><p>Vayu Shakti 2019 comes a year after Exercise Gagan Shakti where the IAF showcased its ability to fight a two-front by quickly moving the troops from the western front to the east.</p><p>“As many as 137 aircraft will participate in Vayu Shakti 2019, making it one of the IAF's biggest firepower demonstrations,” IAF Vice Chief Air Marshal Anil Khosla said here on Tuesday.</p><p>Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, an honorary IAF officer, was also among the audience. </p></div></div>
