That India has the requisite air power to defend its geostrategic interests was evident once again at Exercise Live Wire, the largest ever exercise conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) from March 18 to April 4. The pan-IAF exercise conducted with the objective to involve the entire force and test the warfighting ability of the IAF in networked environs, was held in two phases: March 18 to March 26 wherein the Western and South Western Air Commands participated; and March 29 to April 4 in which the Western, Central and Eastern sectors were the participants.

As challenges to the country’s national security increase in intensity and complexity, the IAF once again demonstrated the airworthiness and competence of its combat elements and air defence systems during the Exercise Live Wire. After the Gaganshakti Exercise in 2006, which was smaller in scale and without netcentric operations, the IAF for the first time conducted an exercise of such a massive scale. Hundreds of fighters, helicopters and transport aircraft participated, representing IAF’s offensive and defensive airpower capabilities. IAF’s newest war strategies, latest inductions and technologies, were tested and the IAF will now look ahead to putting together the lessons learnt after examining the statistics.

Briefing the media after the exercise, Air Force gave out details of the exercise, which was meant to exercise the entire Force. The IAF’s old and new systems including fighters like the Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000s, Jaguars, MiG-29s as well as forcemultipliers airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) aircraft and flight refuellers took part. The AWACS exercised control over all types of operations during the exercise. The new induction C-130J Super Hercules, the workhorse Mi-17, AN-32 (used for bombing) and integrated air command and control system (IACCS), were actively involved in the exercise. The AFNET allowed network-centric operations to be tested. As a lead up to the main exercise, operations with Indian Navy were conducted in Exercises Tropics and Dakshin Prahar. Joint operations with the Indian Army were also held.

The exercise conducted from all IAF airfields, tested IAF’s ability during a two-front war scenario. The exercise was intended at proving IAF’s warfighting concepts under a net-centric environment. Most missions terminated in live weapon firing. Flight refuelling was used for inter-, and intra-theatre sorties, air defence operations, and high tempo surge operations. Validation of jointmanship, slithering operations, flexible use of air power, casualty evacuation in a chemical biological radiological and nuclear (CBRN) environment, were also exercised. According to IAF, it was the largest ever operational exercise that included offensive operations against stimulated targets and air defence operations in protection of our forces on the ground and in the air. And despite the scale, duration and geographical coverage of the exercise, the IAF managed it without disrupting the civil traffic anywhere in the country, including the Northeast.

The exercise was initially planned to be held in February-March of 2012, but was postponed for a later date. Coming on the heels of Exercise Iron Fist held at the Pokhran firing ranges, Rajasthan, a month earlier; Exercise Live Wire tested IAF’s recently acquired state-of-the-art platforms and their integration with the existing ones.