The second phase of the inaugural Exercise Tarang Shakti is in its final leg. This is the first international aerial war games organized by the Indian Air Force since 1963. And the firsts there are a many in this It’s also an extensive and exhaustive exercise that is witnessing the participation of aircraft from Australia, Greece, Singapore, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
The exercise has brought many birds of prey to the Indian skies for the first time to show off their impressive capabilities in this test of advanced capabilities in an as real as it can get war games. The biggest head turner in the exercise is the famed and legendary A-10 Warthog, the aircraft which was built around the GAU-8 Avenger rotary cannon which fires 30 mm rounds. The aircraft’s nose gear is offset to the right side of the fuselage to accommodate the massive gun. The aircraft played a stellar role in its intended role as a close air support platform in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo and Libya. The aircraft has played a role as no other would want to play today, with the era of stand-off weapons already in place.
Another novel bird, a Falcon, that will be taking part in the exercises toady, is the Japanese F-2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft is also known as the ‘Viper Zero’, in a tribute to its heritage. The Viper, in this case, pays tribute to the F-16 family from which it is derived and the Zero pays tribute to A6M Zero, a fighter of the World War II era that gained legendary status. Incidentally both the F-2 and the Zero are built by Mitsubishi. The aircraft was one of the first fighters to fly with an AESA radar and in terms of technology was ahead of its time. Only 94 entered operational service and very few ventured outside Japan.
Another Viper flying over the deserts of Rajasthan is the F-16 E/F or Block 60 variants of UAE’s air force. Pilots of both Greece and the U.S. have flown in the F-16 C/D or Block 52 variants to test their skills. The Emirati Air Force F-16s are perhaps the most technologically advanced F-16s in operational service. The Greeks though are upgrading to Block 72 standard, which will be the new gold standard for the fleet. Lockheed Martin is offering the IAF the F-21, which is an upgraded variant of the Block 72. The Pakistanis on the other hand have inducted Block 52s in their air force.
Another very unique air craft in Jodhpur right now is the Boeing EA-18G Growler Electronic Warfare aircraft. Based on the F/A-18 Super Hornet, these aircraft provide electronic warfare capabilities to fighter strike packages and are proficient in blinding and if necessary, destroying enemy radars.
Although the IAF has exercised with many of these platforms individually, the scope of Exercise Tarang Shakti puts many of these unique elements together, providing those involved with a very realistic and high-tech simulation of a conflict involving an enemy with advanced capabilities.
Dhruv Yadav
