The Indian Air Force (IAF) is showcasing its air-power prowess on Friday with the launch of Vayu Shakti 2026, a spectacular firepower demonstration and full-spectrum combat exercise at the Pokhran Field Firing Range near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, marking one of the largest and most technically advanced displays of aerial capability in the country’s history.
As the event begins today, on February 27, 2026, the Hon’ble President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, is in Jaisalmer on a two-day official visit. She started the day with a historic sortie aboard the indigenously designed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand, accompanied by Air Chief Marshal Amarpreet Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, in a two-helicopter formation, demonstrating confidence in India’s home-grown defence technology.
Senior dignitaries, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagade, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, and the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, will be present in evening, alongside senior military commanders and invited defence representatives in evening during Vayu Shakti 2026.
Vayu Shakti- literally “power of the air”, is not an ordinary air show but a comprehensive firepower demonstration exercise, designed to test and validate the IAF’s tactical and strategic capabilities. It will highlight precision strike operations, integrated battle-space control, network-centric warfare, and multi-domain synergy involving air, land and electronic assets.
The aerial line-up includes frontline fighter aircraft such as the Dassault Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, MiG-29 and SEPECAT Jaguar, alongside the BAE Hawk for coordinated strike packages. Transport and strategic lift capabilities are represented by the C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Super Hercules and Airbus C-295. Helicopter assets include the indigenous HAL Prachand, HAL Dhruv, Mi-17 V5, AH-64E Apache and CH-47F Chinook.
Across the day and into night, pilots and crews will demonstrate day-dusk-night operations, precision strikes on simulated targets (runways, bunkers, radar sites), rapid deployment of Garud commandos, and synchronized air and ground missions that exemplify the IAF’s doctrine of Achook, Abhedya aur Sateek (Unerring, Immutable, Precise).
Vayu Shakti 2026 not only underscores India’s combat readiness but also celebrates indigenous platforms and the nation’s commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence. The Thar Desert sky today is not just a demonstration zone, but a testament to India’s growing aerial might and strategic deterrence capability.