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Ahead of deploying two squadrons of the Akash
surface-to-air missiles in the region, Defence
Minister A.K. Antony will induct them into the
Indian Air Force (IAF) at a ceremony in Hyderabad
Mar 3, according to a defence ministry official.
He will also hand over TAL, an advanced indigenously
developed lightweight torpedo, to the Indian Navy.
With these two inductions into the air force
and the navy, India would have achieved major
milestones in the development of indigenous military
technology.
The two weapon systems that will greatly enhance
the air force and the navy's strike and air defence
capabilities, have been indigenously developed
and manufactured by the Hyderabad-based Bharat
Dynamics Limited, a defence public sector undertaking.
Akash and TAL were developed by the Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Meanwhile, the IAF began the major war exercise
in the northeast, in coordination with the army,
to test their day-night combat potential with
the use of fighter planes including the potent
Sukhoi-30, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, MiG-21
Bison, apart from Mi-17 helicopters.
The air force also used its strategic special
operations plane, C-130J from the American Lockheed
Martin stable, besides AN-32 cargo planes, midair
refuelers, and airborne early warning and control
systems (AWACS) platforms. The army brought in
its remotely-piloted aircraft to the operations.
Led by the IAF's Shillong-based Eastern Air Command,
the exercise codenamed 'Pralay' (Apocalypse),
began Feb 29, an air force officer said.
The exercise involves joint army-air operations
by the IAF and the Indian Army's Kolkata-based
Eastern Command.
"The annual exercise is aimed at testing
the combat potential of the IAF in various roles
such as air defence, ground support operations,
counter air operations, electronic warfare, joint
operations with the army, including special operations
by day and night," an officer said.
"It also includes conduct of Special Forces
operations and night operations in conjunction
with ground forces," the officer said.
The entire spectrum of air operations by aircraft
under dense air defence environment is being practiced
both by day and night.
The exercise also includes facets of network
centric operations, electronic warfare as well
as information warfare and all technology-intensive
battle manoeuvres.
Apart from war fighting in the skies, various
ground contingencies related to air force operations
are being tested.
"Lessons learned from this exercise would
be incorporated in future operational strategies,"
an army officer said.
(IANS)
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