JAISALMER: Indian Air Force will conduct Exercise Vayu Shakti 2019 in Pokhran, Jaisalmer which will start on February 16 next year, for which the preparations have started and meeting of district administration and other department officials was held on Wednesday for the same.

Collector Om Kasera was informed about the administrative arrangements made for the exercise and facilitated the arrangements required for VIP housing, supply of drinking water, road lights, medical, power supply, communication etc. Kasera also directed PWD, power, water and electricity departments to ensure that their respective duties are done well.

He asked to bound the carcass contractor to lift dead animals as well as chief medical and health officer to arrange for surgical, orthopaedic and anaesthetic from Jodhpur at Chandhan hospital and arrange ambulance as per demand and deploy the same.

Around 100 different types of aircraft like Sukhoi-30s, Mirage-2000, Jaguars, MiG-21 bison (upgraded), Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), attacking helicopters, UAVs and high-tech AWACS will display their full potential, an official said. The transport aircraft include AN-32, Embraer and IL-76, IL-78 and C-130J while Mi-17V5 and Mi-35 attack helicopters will constitute the rotary wing ingredients.

“The Indian made Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) will be used to monitor the mammoth exercise, while an unmanned aerial vehicle will stream live video images of the target destruction. The air defence activities will include firing and live demonstration of surface to air guided missiles and air-to-air guided missiles. The exercise also aids commanders and planners to attain better insight into the potential and deployment capabilities of aerial weapons and also HADR system will be demonstrated there."

Mock radar sites, tanks, marshalling yards, terrorist camps, runway, BMP (infantry fighting vehicles), blast pens and convoys are among few of the targets that pilots will seek to destroy. Para-drop and troop insertion of Garuda’s- IAF's Special Forces to neutralize a terrorist camp will also be on display. The exercise also aids commanders and planners to attain better insight into the potential and deployment capabilities of aerial weapons and also HADR system demonstrated will be done there.