Exercise Vayu Shakti: IAF showcases full-spectrum combat power as President Murmu watches

Jaisalmer, February 28. President Droupadi Murmu who is the commander of the Indian armed forces, witnessed the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) mega firepower demonstration, Vayu Shakti 2026, at the Pokhran Field Firing Range in Rajasthan on February 27, as over 130 aircraft executed precision strikes and complex combat missions in a simulated live battlefield environment.

The President, who attended the exercise as the chief guest, was joined by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, along with senior civil and military officials, foreign defence attaches, veterans and schoolchildren.

In a significant highlight of the day, President Murmu undertook a sortie in the indigenously developed HAL Prachand, underscoring India’s push for defence self-reliance under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) vision.

For the first time, the biennial exercise unfolded along a defined operational storyline, transforming the desert range into a simulated integrated combat theatre. The display opened with a ceremonial flypast by Chetak helicopters carrying the national flag and Air Force Ensign, followed by a sonic boom from a Dassault Rafale that signalled the start of high-intensity operations.

Frontline fighter aircraft including the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, HAL Tejas, Dassault Mirage 2000, MiG-29 and Jaguar executed precision strikes using advanced air-to-ground munitions against simulated enemy bunkers, runways and command centres. Transport aircraft such as the C-130J Super Hercules, Airbus C-295 and Boeing C-17 Globemaster III carried out assault landings and evacuation missions from advanced landing grounds.

Helicopters, including the Boeing AH-64 Apache, Boeing CH-47 Chinook, HAL Dhruv and Mi-17s conducted low-altitude rocket and gun firing, troop insertion, casualty evacuation and logistics operations in difficult terrain.

The exercise also demonstrated robust air defence capabilities through coordinated engagements involving airborne platforms and ground-based missile systems such as the Akash missile system and SPYDER missile system, supported by Army air defence assets, reflecting seamless jointmanship.

Special operations formed a key segment, with Garud commandos and Para Special Forces inserted for simulated urban intervention and hostage rescue missions.

As darkness fell, the night phase featured integrated air defence drills and precision strikes, underlining the IAF’s round-the-clock operational capability.

The exercise concluded with a symbolic ceasefire flypast by a C-17 aircraft and a drone display celebrating the IAF’s legacy. Guided by its core values of ‘Achook, Abhedya aur Sateek’, Vayu Shakti–2026 reaffirmed the IAF’s readiness as a multi-domain force and a key pillar of India’s national deterrence architecture.