IAF gears up for Livewire
31 Dec 2012 6:54 AM IST
Early planning has begun for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) biggest domestic exercise, ‘Operation Livewire,’ scheduled to be held in mid-March, 2013. It will be held with the participation of all the five operational commands. Also, all types of strike fighter aircrafts of the IAF, then Jaguars, Mig-29s, Su-30 MKIs will be deployed.
The C4I2 (Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence and Information) needs will be provided by the two AWACs that the force has procured till now. And it will also be deploying mid-air refuellers like IL-78s and the transport fleet of the newly acquired C-130Js.
The pattern of the exercise is to measure the readiness of the individual commands and all of them put together in a simulated full scale war operation. The buzz word for the exercise will be to test the doctrines of an IAF that is considered a force with a ‘strategic reach.’
In other words, it means that the IAF is ready wage a war all on its own at a minimum scale, even without the support of the other services, theoretically speaking.
This year, that will end on Monday the exercise was supposed to be held with the same intensity as there is now. But it was cancelled as the IAF brass claimed they needed to integrate their newest acquisitions like even the refurbished Jaguars (with a brand new engine) and the MiG-29s.(with its new advanced avionics suite) with the sensors (radars etc) and systems (C3I) like the AWACS.
There is a move to integrate the media into this exercise plan as a ‘force-multiplier.’ A plan has barely begun to take shape in which the media will be involved into the operation from the planning stage when it picks up momentum in February after the AeroIndia 2013 show to be held in Banglore in the early part of the month.
This time the involvement of the media will not be restricted to the New Delhi-based news organisations but will involve the local media at each command level.
The unsaid part of the exercise will be validating tactics for ‘surgical strikes,’ that could catch the attention of the western neighbour of the country.
The air force on its 80th year will thus be out as a force that has the motto ‘People First, Mission Always.’
The C4I2 (Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence and Information) needs will be provided by the two AWACs that the force has procured till now. And it will also be deploying mid-air refuellers like IL-78s and the transport fleet of the newly acquired C-130Js.
The pattern of the exercise is to measure the readiness of the individual commands and all of them put together in a simulated full scale war operation. The buzz word for the exercise will be to test the doctrines of an IAF that is considered a force with a ‘strategic reach.’
In other words, it means that the IAF is ready wage a war all on its own at a minimum scale, even without the support of the other services, theoretically speaking.
This year, that will end on Monday the exercise was supposed to be held with the same intensity as there is now. But it was cancelled as the IAF brass claimed they needed to integrate their newest acquisitions like even the refurbished Jaguars (with a brand new engine) and the MiG-29s.(with its new advanced avionics suite) with the sensors (radars etc) and systems (C3I) like the AWACS.
There is a move to integrate the media into this exercise plan as a ‘force-multiplier.’ A plan has barely begun to take shape in which the media will be involved into the operation from the planning stage when it picks up momentum in February after the AeroIndia 2013 show to be held in Banglore in the early part of the month.
This time the involvement of the media will not be restricted to the New Delhi-based news organisations but will involve the local media at each command level.
The unsaid part of the exercise will be validating tactics for ‘surgical strikes,’ that could catch the attention of the western neighbour of the country.
The air force on its 80th year will thus be out as a force that has the motto ‘People First, Mission Always.’
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