Indian Air Force conducts 'Gagan Shakti 2018', its biggest exercise in three decades

Photo courtesy: @IAF_MCC

New Delhi: In a massive show of strength - one not seen in over three decades, the Indian Air Force is conducting 'Gagan Shakti 2018' training exercise with focus on key areas like aerial combat, air to surface combat, paratrooper assault and medical evacuation. 

Here is all you need to know about Gagan Shakti 2018.

When and what

The IAF's exercise began on April 10 and will take place till April 23. It is the biggest ever-exercise of its kind undertaken by the IAF with 1,100 combat, transport and rotary wing (helicopter) aircraft participating - apart from 300 officers and 1500 airmen. 

A long list of training operations have been scheduled with joint operations with the Indian Army and Navy also scheduled.

Where

The primary focus of the exercise has been all along the western border with Pakistan in what has seen a series of day and night operations being conducted. Now, the focus shifts to the eastern corridor - around the China border in the north-eastern states.

How

Gagan Shakti 2018 focuses on operations from sub-zero temperatures to scorching deserts and even matitime operations. The exercises conducted so far include:

1.) Network Centric Operations

#GaganShakti2018 : Network Centric Operations.
During the exercise, info grid of AFNET(Largest WAN) & the IACCS will enable all Air & Land Ops. IACCS will enhance Situational Awareness & enable real time data transfer between the Weapon Systems, Satellite & Ground Based Systems. pic.twitter.com/oBs7MNo7m1 — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 9, 2018

2.) Air defence and live strike missions by indigenous fighter LCA (Tejas)

#GaganShakti2018 #LCAOps Indigenous fighter LCA(Tejas) carried out Air Defence & Live Strike missions from a forward base. Multirole Capabilities of #LCA will go a long way in incorporating this platform in the Ops Matrix of the #IAF.
More on : https://t.co/itakiK99Ba pic.twitter.com/Fsvd0xgy5x — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 11, 2018

3.) Forward Surgical Centre to showcase medical capabilities

#GaganShakti2018 Forward Surgical Centre(FSC): #FSC is a set up at remote forward location with the aim of enhancing medical capabilities & enabling immediate life & limb saving surgeries and stabilization of patients away from service hospital.
More On: https://t.co/3JIkzYbM29 pic.twitter.com/0fZnSimkgl — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 11, 2018

4.) SITE Operations

#GaganShakti2018 : IAF Undertakes STIE (Small Team Insertion & Extraction ) Operations in Joint Special Forces Training Camp.
Read More on https://t.co/aHYJbBoate@SpokespersonMoD @DefenceMinIndia@adgpi@indiannavy pic.twitter.com/yqpvEWO2R2 — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 12, 2018

5.) LCA's night-time operation training

#GaganShakti2018 #LCAOps : Glimpses of LCA(Tejas) Night Operations during Exercise GaganShakti 2018. pic.twitter.com/xuMwMstOMw — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 12, 2018

6.) Special HeliBorne Operations

As part of #GaganShakti2018 , on 12 Apr 18, Special HeliBorne Operations (SHBO) mission was conducted by 2xMI-17 V5 helicopters of the IAF. Tri Services SF Troops were inserted in the objective area, to capture a Heli runway.
More On:- https://t.co/GB9NrkM3kM pic.twitter.com/fLSjrTzrYS — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 13, 2018

7.) SU-30's Dusk-Night-Dawn Operation

#GaganShakti2018 : The indomitable SU-30 undertaking incessant Dusk-Night-Dawn Operations, somewhere in the Western region, once again proving their edge multirole capabilities.#GuardiansOfTheSky #PeopleFirstMissionAlways #IAF #IndianAirForce pic.twitter.com/NdbNFT7G5w — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 13, 2018

8.) Firepower and Precision

#GaganShakti2018 Firepower & Precision: #IAF has made significant efforts to acquire weapons that are more lethal than before & can be delivered from greater ranges with precision. This underscores the confidence the IAF places in its combat power.
More On:https://t.co/B4L8YxmZsZ pic.twitter.com/5bMfgqTtuV — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 13, 2018

9.) Batallion Level Drop

#GaganShakti2018 : Glimpses of Mission Launch - Battalion Level Drop (BLD). During the #BLD the entire Para Battalion is dropped over the target area in one wave.
Read More https://t.co/aPalguPGOE@DefenceMinIndia@SpokespersonMoD@adgpi@indiannavy@DrSubhashMoS pic.twitter.com/0yzJIHrtT2 — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 14, 2018

10.) Maritime Air Operations

#GaganShakti2018 : MARITIME AIR OPS -On 14Apr18, in a joint ops with #IndianNavy , #IAF conducted Long-range Maritime Strike in the Western Seaboard. The Aim of Ops was Air Dominance & Deep Strike Validation over our strategic area of influence in the IOR.https://t.co/qUqXD70xpX pic.twitter.com/JJArO9xudM — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 14, 2018

11.) Mass Casualty Evacuation Drill

#GaganShakti2018 : MASS CASUALTY EVACUATION DRILL - #IAF conducted a Mass Casualty Air Evacuation Drill in the Northern sector. The C-17 Aircraft was converted for this role by fixing support structures for the stretchers, in the main cabin. https://t.co/MbO3kIaMas pic.twitter.com/mYqujyscLw — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 14, 2018

12.) Long-Range Strike Mission over Indian Ocean Region

#GaganShakti2018 –Glimpses into the IAF’s Long Range Strike Mission, over the extended area of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). In the long range strike concept validation, #Su30 aircraft carried out Air-Air Refueling & engaged multiple targets at ranges in excess of 2000Kms. pic.twitter.com/nm9Y9X62Oq — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 17, 2018

13.)  Operations at Civilian Installations

#GaganShakti2018 :To test the capability of #IAF ,to take over a civil airport under control of hostile elements, #GARUDS took over the control of a designated airfield. Ops executed with stealth & clockwork precision demonstrating IAF capabilities. MoreOn https://t.co/uO2ZNqsYWT pic.twitter.com/6zdrXqrbVu — Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 17, 2018

Significance

The series of operations and drills are primarily targeted to keep IAF personnel on alert and demonstrate IAF's abilities to carry out a number of missions on extreme terrain and under every situation. Security analysts though say that these missions are also a signal to Pakistan and China that any threat would be met with a capable and befitting counter.