INDIAN AND FRENCH AIR FORCE BILATERAL EXERCISE DESERT KNIGHT- 21

The Indian and French Air & Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace) conducted a five-days bilateral air drill at Air Force Station Jodhpur in India from 20th to 24th June, 2021.

As a part of Indo-French Defence Cooperation, six editions of air drill ‘Garuda’were conducted. The latest being in the year 2010, at Air Force Base Mont-de-Marsan in France.

The Desert Knight- 21 exercise is unique as it will include the Rafale fighter jets by both sides. It also indicates the growing interaction between the air forces of the two nations- India & France.

• Aircrafts from Indian Air Force:- Rafale, Su-30 MKI, Mirage 2000, IL-78 Flight Refuelling Aircraft, AWACS and AEW&C aircraft.

• Aircrafts from French Air Force:- Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft and approximately 175 personnel.

Different Exercises between India & France:-

• Varuna: Naval exercise
• Garuda: Air Exercise
• Shakti: Army Exercise

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HAWK-I AIRCRAFT SUCCESSFULLY TEST FIRED SMART ANTI-AIRFIELD WEAPONS (SAAW)

On 21st January, 2021, Hindustan Aeronautical Agency (HAL) successfully test fired a Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW) from the Hawk-i aircraft off the coast of Odisha. The indigenous stand-off weapon developed by Research Centre Imarat (RCI), DRDO is the first smart weapon fired from an Indian Hawk-Mk 132.

“The Hawk-i is HAL’s internally funded programme offering the armed forces an upgrade and combat capability for the Hawk, transforming it into an Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT), providing training on sensors and weapons in peacetime into a potent combat platform during conflict,” an HAL statement read.

The SAAW is a long-range precision-guided anti-airfield wepeon of 125 kg used to destroy ground targets, such as runways, bunkers, aircraft hangars and other reinforced structures from a range of 100 km.

INDIAN ARMY DEMONSTRATS DRONE SWARM DURING ARMY DAY PARADE

The Indian Army carried out a demonstration of drone swarm by using 75 indigenously designed and developed rotary drones

These drones are developed by Indian Army and NewSpace Research and Technology. Each drone is autonomous and independent to carry out missions by using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Theses drones have a range of 50 km. The Army and NewSpace is planning to fly up to 1,000 rotary drones.

During the demonstration, 75 UAV and small drones were flown together in a large swarm through AI technology. These swarm drones can be used for simultaneous large attacks on enemy tanks, infantry combat vehicles and trucks loaded with soldiers and ammunition, as well can be used for supplying medicines and other equipment.

Swarm-drones can also be used to jam the enemy’s communication-systems and radars on the battlefield.

Indian Army carried out multiple operations including intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, kamikaze drone attacks, mothership, first-aid delivery and parachute payloads. These 75 drones can carry a total payload of 600 kg.

There were different types of drones used:

• Mothership Hexacopter, that can 2 kamikaze quadcopters.
• Kamikaze drones or Loitering munitions.
• Utility drones for payload & first-aid delivery.