EXERCISE REPORT
The Indian Air Force staged its �rst large-scale day/night exercise from 19-22 February. Above all, the event served to demonstrate IAF live-�ring prowess at Rajasthan’s Pokharan �ring range in the presence of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
report and photos: Simon Watson
INDIA’S LIVE-FIRE EXTRAVAGANZA!
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IRON FIST’ was by any standards a mammoth exercise. It encompassed three main operating bases: AFS Jodhpur and Uttarlai as well as the Forward Operating Base (FOB)
at Jaisalmer. Concentrated on the Pokharan range in the Thar desert, the exercise commenced with troop insertion missions by Mil Mi-8/17 transport helicopters, plus numerous flypasts by fast jet elements, followed by an opening address by Air Chief Marshal N. A. K. Browne, the Indian Air Force chief.
There followed a three-phase exercise, with around 100 fighters, transport aircraft and helicopters
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participating. These served to showcase the diversity of the Indian Air Force, with more than 30 types of platforms and weapons systems on display.
Fast-jet participants included Sukhoi Su-30MKIs, Dassault Mirage 2000Hs, SEPECAT/Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Jaguars, and all three Mikoyan variants currently operated by India: the upgraded MiG-21 Bison, MiG-27M and MiG-29. The exercise also saw an outing by three HAL Light Combat Aircraft Tejas fighters, which also played a role in the live-fire demonstrations, as did BAE Systems Hawk Mk132s.
The transport phase of the exercise took in paratroop dropping by new C-130Js, while other elements included An-32s, Il-76s and an Il-78 tanker. Of note among the rotary-wing participants were the HAL Advanced Light Helicopter Rudra and Mi-24 gunships with day/night and adverse-weather combat capability that were upgraded using Israel Aerospace Industries’ ‘Mission-24’ package. Both ‘Hind’ cockpits are compatible with night vision goggles (NVGs), and both crew members use IAI’s advanced NVG set with a built-in monocular display on which navigation and targeting information can be presented.
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3: A fabulous head-on view of a MiG-27M from 29 Squadron ‘Scorpions’ equipped with UB-32-57 rocket pods for S-5 57mm rockets.
4: A pair of Su-30MKIs from 30 Squadron ‘Rhinos’ armed with FAB-250M-54 freefall bombs lines up at Jodhpur for an ‘Iron Fist’ mission.
5: The main exercise launch gets into full swing at Jodhpur.
6: Dumb 1,000lb bombs ready to be loaded onto a Jaguar S(I) detached to Uttarlai.
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C-130Js, and other elements included An-32s, Il-76s and an Il-78 tanker. Of note among the rotary-wing participants were the HAL Advanced Light Helicopter Rudra and Mi-24 gunships with day/night and adverse-weather combat capability that were upgraded using Israel Aerospace Industries’ ‘Mission-24’ package. Both ‘Hind’ cockpits are compatible with night vision goggles (NVGs), and both crewmembers use IAI’s advanced NVG set with built-in monocular display on which navigation and targeting information can be presented.
Interspersed between live-firing events were demonstrations by India’s new Pilatus PC-7 MkII basic trainers and a Bambi Bucket role demo by a suitably equipped Mi-17V-5 helicopter.
Interspersed between live-firing events were demonstrations by India’s new Pilatus PC-7 MkII basic trainers and a Bambi Bucket role demo by a suitably equipped Mi-17V-5 helicopter.
The main event in front of dignitaries took place on 22 February, during which the action was monitored live by airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft and an unmanned aerial vehicle that streamed live video of the targets. For increased realism in air-to-ground training, participating pilots were presented with a wide range of targets to hit including mock radar sites, tanks and armoured vehicles, marshalling yards, terrorist camps, a runway, blast pens and convoys.
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7: A Mirage 2000H touches down at Uttarlai following an ‘Iron Fist’ mission.
8: Three HAL LCA Tejas lightweight multi-role !ghters operated from Jaisalmer for ‘Iron Fist’.
9: A MiG-27M lets rip at Pokharan with its smokey UB-32-57 rocket pods.
10: An Mi-24 !res an impressive salvo of S-8 80mm rockets.
11: A fabulous shot of a MiG-27M as it returns to Uttarlai after a banner towing mission.
12: A MiG-21I from 4 Squadron eases out of its hardened shelter at Uttarlai.
13: Thumbs up from the pilot of a MiG-21 Bison from 37 Squadron as he taxies out at Uttarlai.
14: From the latest production batch of 17 Jaguar B(I) two-seaters, serial JT068 departs from Jodhpur. This batch of Jaguars was the !rst to be built incorporating DARIN II as standard. In 2008 JT068 became the prototype for a new !xed in-"ight refuelling probe. This modi!cation is likely to re"ect a desire to increase the range of these aircraft, which are assigned to No 224 ‘Warlords’ Squadron at AFS Jamnagar and tasked with night attack.
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