INDIAN AIR FORCE CONDUCTS EXERCISE 'VAYUSHAKTI-26' AT POKHRAN RANGE, JAISALMER

1. At a Glance

Vayu Shakti is the Indian Air Force's (IAF) decadal-style firepower demonstration held at the Pokhran Air-to-Ground Range, Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) showcasing full-spectrum offensive air operations by day and night [S1][S3].
Vayushakti-26 was held on 27 February 2026 with the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, as Chief Guest, witnessed alongside the Raksha Mantri, CDS and IAF C-in-Cs [S1][S2].
Relevant to GS-III (Internal Security, Defence, Indigenisation) and Prelims (defence platforms, exercises, Pokhran geography) [S1].

Conducted on 27 Feb 2026 at Pokhran, with a grand rehearsal on 24 Feb 2026; over 130 aircraft participated in a day-and-night firepower demo [S2][S3].
First-ever Vayushakti executed along a defined operational storyline, transformed into a simulated live combat theatre [S3].
Highlighted Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence — President took a sortie in the indigenous LCH 'Prachand' [S3].

Vayu Shakti is a periodic IAF firepower demonstration at Pokhran, conducted roughly every 5 years [S3][S4].
Key past editions: 1989, 2010, 2013, 16 Feb 2019, 17 Feb 2024 (Vayu Shakti-24, theme "Lightning Strike from the Sky"), 27 Feb 2026 [S3][S4].
Vayu Shakti-24 dropped ~50 tonnes of ordnance in 2 hours over 2 sq km with 120+ aircraft — baseline against which 2026 scaled up to 130+ aircraft [S3][S4].

Conducting body: Indian Air Force (under Ministry of Defence, Department of Military Affairs) [S1].
Venue: Pokhran Field Firing Range, Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan — close to the India–Pakistan border in the Thar Desert [S1][S3].
Chief Guest: President Droupadi Murmu; dignitaries included Governor of Rajasthan Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, CDS Gen. Anil Chauhan, Cabinet Secretary Dr. T.V. Somanathan [S1].
Scale: 130+ aircraft in day–night ops [S3].
Platforms displayed: Fighters — Rafale, Su-30MKI, LCA Tejas, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk; Transport — C-17, C-130J, C-295; Helicopters — LCH Prachand, Apache, Chinook, Mi-17 V5, ALH Mk-IV, Chetak; plus Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) [S3].
Demonstration: Precision strikes on simulated enemy bunkers, runways, and command centres using air-to-ground guided bombs and missiles [S3].

Strategic / Geopolitical: Pokhran's location signals deterrence posture along the western front; the "operational storyline" format mimics a near-war combat theatre, signalling readiness post-2024–25 regional tensions [S1][S3].
Scientific / Technological: Showcased indigenous platforms — HAL Tejas (LCA), HAL Prachand (LCH), ALH Dhruv Mk-IV, C-295 (assembled in India by TASL-Airbus) — anchoring Aatmanirbhar Bharat in aerospace [S3].
Administrative / Joint-ness: Conducted under the CDS-led integrated theatre command vision; presence of all IAF Commanders-in-Chief and Cabinet Secretary indicates whole-of-government showcase [S1].
Historical: Continues a lineage of IAF firepower demos at Pokhran (1989 onwards), evolving from static displays to networked, multi-domain simulated combat [S3][S4].

17 Feb 2024: Vayu Shakti-24 — "Lightning Strike from the Sky"; 120+ aircraft, 50 t ordnance [S4].
Curtain Raiser, Vayushakti-2026 issued by PIB ahead of the exercise [S5].
24 Feb 2026: Grand rehearsal at Pokhran [S3].
27 Feb 2026: Main event; President's sortie in LCH Prachand [S1][S3].

Vayu Shakti is conducted by the Indian Air Force, not the Army or tri-services [S1].
Venue: Pokhran Field Firing Range, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan [S1].
Chief Guest of Vayushakti-26: President Droupadi Murmu [S1].
Date of main event: 27 February 2026 [S1].
Aircraft count: over 130 [S3].
Previous edition: Vayu Shakti-24 on 17 Feb 2024, theme 'Lightning Strike from the Sky' [S4].
LCH Prachand = indigenous Light Combat Helicopter by HAL — President flew a sortie [S3].
Indigenous platforms on display: LCA Tejas, LCH Prachand, ALH Mk-IV (Dhruv), C-295 [S3].
Raksha Mantri present: Rajnath Singh; CDS: Gen. Anil Chauhan [S1].
Pokhran is in the Thar Desert, close to the India–Pakistan border [S3].
Vayushakti-26 was the first edition with a defined operational storyline [S3].
Rafale, Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, MiG-29, Hawk were fighters used [S3].

GS Paper III: Security challenges and their management; Defence — indigenisation; Various Security Forces and Agencies and their mandate.
GS Paper II: Government policies — Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence.
Plausible question stems: 1. "Periodic firepower exercises like Vayu Shakti are as much instruments of strategic signalling as of training." Discuss. 2. Evaluate the progress of indigenisation in Indian military aviation with reference to platforms displayed at Vayushakti-26. 3. Examine the relevance of large-scale combined firepower demonstrations in an era of network-centric, multi-domain warfare.

Pokhran-I (1974) & Pokhran-II (1998) nuclear tests — same range; commonly confused locus.
LCA Tejas Mk-1A / Mk-2 programme — indigenous fighter trajectory.
LCH Prachand & ALH Dhruv — HAL helicopter ecosystem.
Theatre Commands & CDS — integrated tri-service reforms.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Defence — positive indigenisation lists, iDEX.
Other IAF exercises: Gagan Shakti, Tarang Shakti, Iron Fist — for contrast.
Joint exercises: with Singapore (Joint Military Training), France (Garuda), USA (Cope India).
BrahMos, Astra, Rudram, SAAW — Indian air-launched munitions.

Pokhran ≠ Jaisalmer city; the range is in Jaisalmer district but the town Pokhran also hosted nuclear tests — don't conflate.
Vayu Shakti is IAF only, not a tri-services exercise; Gagan Shakti (also IAF) is a separate pan-India war-game.
The Chief Guest in 2026 is the President, not the PM (Vayu Shakti-24 in 2024 was witnessed by the Raksha Mantri, not the PM).
LCH Prachand is an attack helicopter by HAL — not Apache (Apache AH-64E is US-origin, also in IAF inventory).
Vayu Shakti is held at Pokhran, not at Mahajan Field Firing Range (Bikaner, where Army exercises like Yudh Abhyas occur).

[S1] INDIAN AIR FORCE CONDUCTS EXERCISE 'VAYUSHAKTI-26' AT POKHRAN RANGE, JAISALMER — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2233778 — (tier: 1)
[S2] PRESIDENT OF INDIA WITNESSES THE 'VAYU SHAKTI–2026' EXERCISE AT THE POKHRAN FIRING RANGE — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2233725 — (tier: 1)
[S3] EXERCISE VAYUSHAKTI-2026: POWERFUL DISPLAY BY THE AIR FORCE AT THE POKHRAN FIRING RANGE — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2232651 — (tier: 1)
[S4] IAF CONDUCTS 'EXERCISE - VAYU SHAKTI-24' IN RAJASTHAN — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2006811 — (tier: 1)
[S5] CURTAIN RAISER EXERCISE VAYUSHAKTI 2026 — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2226479 — (tier: 1)