Iron Fist is an
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
exercise held at
Pokhran
Pokhran is a village and a municipality located, outside of Jaisalmer city in the Jaisalmer district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a remote location in the Thar Desert region and served as the site for India's first underground nu ...
,
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
. It has been held twice: 2013 and 2016.
Iron Fist 2013
The Iron Fist 2013 was the
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
's first day-night exercise. It was conducted on 22 February 2013 at the
Pokhran
Pokhran is a village and a municipality located, outside of Jaisalmer city in the Jaisalmer district of the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is a remote location in the Thar Desert region and served as the site for India's first underground nu ...
firing range. The main objective was to display network-centric operations capabilities of the Indian Air Force. More than 100 aircraft (equal number of aircraft were at standby) and 30 different weapon platforms participated. Along with aircraft,
National Security Guard
The National Security Guard (NSG), commonly known as Black Cats, is a counter-terrorism unit of India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was founded on 16 October 1984, following Operation Blue Star, for combating terrorist activities and ...
and
Garud commandos displayed their tactical skills. The final day of the exercises saw several dignitaries arrive to see a demonstration of capabilities including President of India, Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Chief of Indian Navy and several more. A four-hour live telecast of the event was broadcast by
Doordarshan National.
Live telecast
The live telecast was an attempt by the IAF to showcase its capabilities. It was accompanied by music and live commentary describing the aircraft, capabilities, mission under progress, target, weapon details, pilot and crew names and also live footage from the cockpit.
The live telecast was divided into four phases.
* Phase 1: Flypast
The flypast was done with several aircraft to start the events of live exercise. It consisted of the following displays:
# 3 Mi-8 helicopters with the tricolor
# MiG-27 flying at 450 km/hour with Iron Fist 13 banner in tow
# Jaguar showing live footage of the main spectator stand from aircraft cameras
# Rejuvenated
Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s British biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and built by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other operators as a primary trainer aircraft. ...
# Pilatus PC-7 Mk2 aerobics
# MiG-29 (Supersonic flypast)
# All 5 variants of MiG-21 in service with IAF in an Arrowhead formation
# 5 Jaguar aircraft in Arrowhead formation
# 5 Upgraded MiG-27 in Arrowhead formation
# 5 MiG-29 in Arrowhead formation
# Formation flight of Jaguar, MiG-21 Bison and MiG-27
# 3 Su-30 MKI in
Vic formation
The Vic formation is a formation devised for military aircraft and first used during the First World War.
It has three or sometimes more aircraft fly in close formation with the leader at the apex and the rest of the flight '' en echelon'' to t ...
# HAL Cheetah + HAL Chetak + HAL Dhruv + HAL LCH
# Aerobatics by HAL LCH
* Phase-2: Offensive capabilities
The Exercise showcased offensive operations like destroying communication centers, runways, hangars, fuel & ammunition buildings, etc. deep behind enemy lines.
''Major Offensive demonstrations:''
# Dive attack by Mirage 2000 after scouting of ground targets by Jaguar and IAI Herons
# Mig-21 Bison attacking ground target with 64 mm Rockets
# Su-30MKI dropping 1000 lb Guided bomb (Aborted)
# Mig-27 firing 40 mm Rockets on ground targets
# Su-30MKI firing runway penetrating bombs
# Jaguar demonstrating precision bombing
# Su-30MKI firing precision guided bombs
# Jaguar firing 3 x 1000 lb bombs
# HAL Tejas demonstrating swing role capability: an LGB on ground target quickly followed by an R-73 launch to shoot down a simulated interceptor
* Phase-3: Defensive Operations
#
MANPADS firing
# Garud Commandos carrying out a Search & Rescue mission from a Mi-17 escorted by Mi-35.
# OSA AK-M Surface to air firing
# Mi-35 firing 80 mm Rockets on ground targets
# BAe Hawk trainer aircraft two 125 kg bombs followed by 68 mm rockets
# MiG-21 fire S-24 (240 mm caliber) heavy rockets
# Su-30MKI fire 26 x 250 kg bombs demonstrating carpet bombing
# 2 C-130J deploy 60 paratroopers
# Mi-17 demonstrating quick slithering operation
# Mi-17 demonstrating deploying of a Fast Attack Vehicle with 5 Guards who conduct a surgical strike and return to the Mi-17 for quick escape
# IL-76 dropping heavy cargo with parachutes escorted by 2 Mig-29 who intercept and fire R-73 missile at an interceptor
# C-130J demonstrates an assault landing on a short field deploys 26 commandos and quickly takes off in about 1000 feet and flies away with complex maneuvering
# Mi-17 demonstrate fire control using slithered buckets
* Flying displays:
After these live weapons demonstrations, several aerobatics display and other events continued before commencing of Phase 4: Night Operations.
# HAL Dhruv
Sarang helicopter display team aerobatics
# Su-30MKI aerobatics
#
Akash Ganga
Akash Ganga is the 124 member Sky diving team of the Indian Air Force. It was created in August 1987. Akash Ganga can be roughly translated in Hindi as "The Ganga
The Ganges ( ) (in India: Ganga ( ); in Bangladesh: Padma ( )). "The Ganges ...
sky diving team deployed from an An-32
# Simulation of the
Operation Black Tornado
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
by the NSG from a Mi-17
# IAI Heron (remote-piloted aircraft, RPA) demonstration
# Rifle drill by the Air Force
# Musical performance by IAF bands
# Handing mementos to various dignitaries in presence
* Phase-4: Night operations
Targets were briefed before the firing commenced. All aircraft fired flares before deploying targets to enhance visibility. Following operations were carried out:
# An-32 modified to deploy weapons 10 x 1000 lb carpet bombing demonstration
# MiG-27UP firing S-24 heavy rockets
# Mirage-2000 firing dumb bombs
# MiG-27UP firing S-24 heavy rockets
# Jaguar firing 3 × 1000 lb bombs from 500 feet altitude
# Jaguar firing 4 × 1000 lb bombs in dive
# Su-30MKI firing 18 × 250 kg bombs (Aborted)
# Jaguar 4 × 1000 lb bombs
# Mi-17 Night Slither operation to drop Garud commandos under search light
# Pechora SAM-3 ripple firing to an airborne target at 10 km range
# Mi-35 firing S-24 heavy rockets fired with assistance of newly included NVG & FLIR avionics
# IL-78MKI firing 300 flares to announce end of Iron Fist 2013
# An-32 firing 50 flares
List of Aircraft participating
Fighter Aircraft
#
Sukhoi Su-30MKI
The Sukhoi Su-30MKI (NATO reporting name: Flanker-H) is a twinjet multirole air superiority fighter developed by Russia's Sukhoi and built under licence by India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). A variant ...
#
Mikoyan MiG-29 "Baaz"
#
Dassault Mirage 2000 "Vajra"
#
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
#
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27 "Bahadur"
#
SEPECAT Jaguar "Shamsher"
#
HAL LCA "Tejas"
Transport Aircraft
#
Ilyushin Il-76 Candid "Gajraaj"
#
C-130J Super Hercules
The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. The C-130J is a comprehensive update of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, with new engines, flight deck, and other systems.
The C-130J is the newes ...
#
Antonov An-32 Cline
#
DRDO EMB-145 AEWCS
Trainer Aircraft
#
BAE Hawk
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, jet-powered advanced trainer aircraft. It was first flown at Dunsfold, Surrey, in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, and subsequently produced by its successor companies, British Aerospace and ...
#
Pilatus PC-7
The Pilatus PC-7 Turbo Trainer is a low-wing tandem-seat training aircraft designed and manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The aircraft is capable of all basic training functions including aerobatics, instrument, tactical and ni ...
Rotary Wing Aircraft
#
HAL Rudra
The HAL Rudra, also known as ALH-WSI, is an armed version of the HAL Dhruv utility helicopter which is designed and produced by the Indian aerospace manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The Rudra was developed in parallel to the H ...
#
HAL Light Combat Helicopter
The HAL Prachand (IPA: prəcəɳɖ, lit.''"Fierce"'') is an Indian multi-role, light attack helicopter designed and manufactured by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under project LCH. It has been ordered by the Indian Air Force and the ...
#
Mil Mi-35 Hind-E
#
Mil Mi-8
The Mil Mi-8 (russian: Ми-8, NATO reporting name: Hip) is a medium twin-turbine helicopter, originally designed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s and introduced into the Soviet Air Force in 1968.
It is now produced by Russia.
In addition t ...
#
Mi-17
The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production at two factories, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russian service. ...
#
HAL Dhruv
The HAL Dhruv is a utility helicopter designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in November 1984. The helicopter first flew in 1992; however, its development was prolonged due to multiple factors including the Indian Arm ...
#
HAL Cheetah
HAL may refer to:
Aviation
* Halali Airport (IATA airport code: HAL) Halali, Oshikoto, Namibia
* Hawaiian Airlines (ICAO airline code: HAL)
* HAL Airport, Bangalore, India
* Hindustan Aeronautics Limited an Indian aerospace manufacturer of figh ...
#
HAL Chetak
HAL may refer to:
Aviation
* Halali Airport (IATA airport code: HAL) Halali, Oshikoto, Namibia
* Hawaiian Airlines (ICAO airline code: HAL)
* HAL Airport, Bangalore, India
* Hindustan Aeronautics Limited an Indian aerospace manufacturer of figh ...
UAV
#
IAI Heron
The IAI Heron (Machatz-1) is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the Malat
(UAV) division of Israel Aerospace Industries. It is capable of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) operations of up to 52 h ...
Weapon systems
*
IGLA
*
Osa-AKM
*
Pechora
Pechora (russian: Печо́ра; kv, Печӧра, ''Pećöra'') is a town in the Komi Republic, Russia, located on the Pechora River, west of and near the northern Ural Mountains. The area of the town is . Population:
History
Pechora was ...
Special Forces
NSG Commandos
Garud Commandos
Akash Ganga Sky Diving team
Iron Fist 2016
Iron Fist 2016 was held on 18 March 2016. It featured the participation of 181 aircraft, 103 of them fighter planes. It also included a display of the firepower of
Tejas LCA for the first time.
Highlights
*22 types of platforms, weapons systems.
*The firing of Akash missile.
*HAL LCH firing 70 mm rockets.
*
Astra missile
Astra (Sanskrit: "weapon") is an Indian family of all weather beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. The missile is capable of engaging targets at varying ranges from a distance ...
live firing
References
External links
{{commons category, Iron Fist (exercise)
''IAF's first day-night exercise 'Iron Fist' begins in Rajasthan'' - DNA
Indian Air Force
Indian military exercises
Military exercises and wargames