Indian Air Force displays its strike capabilities

Pokhran (Rajasthan), Mar 4 (ANI): India's frontline fighter aircraft bombed simulated targets in the northwestern desert areas of Rajasthan.

Awesome strike capabilities of Indian Air Force (IAF) were on display as frontline fighters from South Western Air Command (SWAC) took part in a training exercise in Pokhran range here on Tuesday.

The fighter aircraft fired a vast array of precision and non-precision area weapons onto simulated targets, demonstrating their firepower.

The Aerial Weapons Seminar-2009 (AWS), the annual training plan of SWAC, educates air warriors on efficacy of airpower, its extent and accuracy.

Officials said the exercise brought out its synergy with the armoured corps of the army.

"Where we are sitting right now, is the desert. This is a very good sector from the point of view of the armoured 21 core is what Lt.

General Lamba commands and the Air Force. The Air Force and the armoured core of the army can make a major war here. We can fight a war best in the desert. It's the ideal situation, so we are not different at all," said Air Marshal KD Singh, Air Officer Commanding In-Chief, SWAC.

The exercise also demonstrates to the Army and the Navy, the capabilities of IAF strike forces. The exercise started off with a supersonic run carried out by a MiG 29 aircraft which was followed by a seven minute low level aerobatic display by a multi-role SU 30 aircraft.

Seen on the skies were various fixed wing platforms like MiG 21, MiG 27, Jaguar, SU-30 MKI and rotary wing platform MI-17.

Lt. General AS Lamba, General Officer Commanding, 21 Corps, said the exercise brought out the synergy between the IAF and the Army.

"This is another great contribution in terms of conviction the power of destruction that I see today. I think its going to be over whelming and very important supplement to our operations of the strike core in any future event. I think the entire focus seems to be very close to a synergy in destruction, synergy in operation and synergy in terms of jointmanship in a very big way," said General Lamba.India is spending 92 million dollars to develop the fighters with precise navigational equipment, better weapons aiming and accurate ranging sensors for hitting ground targets.India is looking to spend 30 billion dollars on imports over the next five years to modernise its largely Soviet-era arms. It is also trying to strengthen its navy by introducing new weapons systems.India, fast becoming one of the world's biggest arms importers, wants to modernise its air force, the fourth largest in the world, to cope with possible security threats in the region. India is also considering upgrading of its other fighter fleet, including Mirage 2000s, Jaguars and MiG 29s, ahead of procuring the new generation Sukhoi-30MKIs. t has also invited bids for a contract to supply 126 multi-role fighter jets, potentially worth more than 10 billion dollars. (ANI)