NEW DELHI – In a massive show of strength – one not seen in over threedecades, the Indian Air Force is conducting ‘Gagan Shakti 2018’ trainingexercise with focus on key areas like aerial combat, air to surface combat,paratrooper assault and medical evacuation.

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

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

The primary focus of the exercise has been all along the western borderwith Pakistan in what has seen a series of day and night operations beingconducted. Now, the focus shifts to the eastern corridor – around the Chinaborder in the north-eastern states.

Gagan Shakti 2018 focuses on operations from sub-zero temperatures toscorching deserts and even matitime operations. The exercises conducted sofar include:

1.) Network Centric Operations

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

3.) Forward Surgical Centre to showcase medical capabilities

4.) SITE Operations

5.) LCA’s night-time operation training

6.) Special HeliBorne Operations

7.) SU-30’s Dusk-Night-Dawn Operation

8.) Firepower and Precision

9.) Batallion Level Drop

10.) Maritime Air Operations

11.) Mass Casualty Evacuation Drill

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

13.) Operations at Civilian Installations

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