New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has announced a high-intensity aerial exercise over the desert sector and adjoining areas along the western border with Pakistan. The exercise will be held on Wednesday and Thursday.
A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued by the Indian government, confirming a large-scale air exercise. The airspace over western India and southern Pakistan will now be closed to international commercial flights. Several international flights will now have to divert and may give Pakistan the skip altogether. This will affect Pakistan severely.
India has already closed its airspace to Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and its flights to locations like Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia are now being diverted through Chinese or Sri Lankan airspace, nearly doubling the flying time and increasing costs. Pakistan has also closed its airspace to Indian civilian carriers, but this has had limited effect.
The IAF’s exercise in Rajasthan promises to be a mega event. It will kick off on the day India conducts civil defence mock drills across the country as a preparation for War.
According to sources, the exercise will feature the full spectrum of India’s airpower, with frontline fighter jets including Rafales, Mirage 2000s, and Sukhoi-30 MKIs participating. The IAF is in a state of high alert since the April 22 Pahalgam terror strike in Jammu and Kashmir that left 26 persons, mostly tourists from across the country, dead.
India and Pakistan have been engaged in a diplomatic and military stand-off since then, particularly after investigations revealed that the massacre was planned in Pakistan and was led by at least two Pakistani terrorists.
While air-to-ground strikes were practiced by IAF aircraft in central India, day and night landings were conducted at the Ganga Expressway in Uttar Pradesh. The IAF has now taken things closer to the border, to display its might.
According to officials, the exercise is ‘routine’ and aims to assess the IAF’s combat preparedness, response time, and coordination under simulated hostile conditions. It will involve both day and night flying operations.
Meanwhile, villagers living along the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan have come out in large numbers to voice their unwavering support for the Indian armed forces and their readiness to assist.
