Indian Air Force conducts Exercise Vayu Shakti 2026 at Pokhran Field Firing Range

Exam-focused facts from the 1 March 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Exercise Vayu Shakti 2026 was held at the Pokhran Field Firing Range with President Droupadi Murmu as Chief Guest.
The theme of the exercise was 'From Inception to Execution'.
A total of 77 aircraft including Rafale, Su-30MKI, MiG-29, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, C-17, C-130J, IL-76, IL-78, AN-32 and Embraer participated.
Indigenous systems Akash and SPYDER air defence systems successfully neutralised simulated aerial threats.
Chinook helicopters airlifted M-777 Ultra-Light Howitzers in underslung mode for the first time.
Approximately 120 tonnes of ordnance were delivered over a two-square-kilometre area in three hours.
A first-ever drone show depicted India’s map, Air Force formations, 1965 Sargodha strike, Kargil’s Tiger Hill bombing, Balakot air strike and Operation Sindoor.