IAF’s 11-Day Mega Exercise Along China Border Coincides With Speculation Over Xi Jinping’s G20 Summit Absence

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will start an 11-day mega drill called “Trishul” on September 4 along the borders with China and Pakistan. This is a big show of strength.

For the practice, all of the most important fighter jets, attack helicopters, mid-air refueling planes, and other important air assets will be sent to the front lines. This comes at a time when Indian and Chinese troops have been fighting for three years and when ties with Pakistan are already tense.

The IAF’s Western Command is in charge of the drill, which is meant to test the force’s ability to fight and evaluate different operational aspects. Sources in the defense and military establishment say that this ambitious military move will be one of the largest air drills done by the Indian Air Force in recent years.

Different types of fighter jets, such as Rafales, Su-30 MKIs, Jaguars, Mirage-2000s, MiG-29s, and MiG-21 Bisons, will take part in the exercise. Attack helicopters, mid-air refuelers, AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) planes, and the transport fleet will all play important roles in the drills.

Frontline bases in Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will be the focus of the drill. These bases will give the simulated operations a realistic and strategic setting. At the end of the exercise, the Air Headquarters will do a full analysis of the results and look at what was learned from the drills.

Reports about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plan to skip the G2-Summit in Delhi at the end of the month make the timing of the “Trishul” drill even more important.