The Indra Dhanush Air Force Exercise is a joint air force service conducted by the Royal Air Force and the Indian Air Force. This Air Force exercise helps to enhance usual operational understanding between India and UK Air Force. This Air Force exercise first started in 2006 and is also known as India UK joint Air Force Exercise. The 5th military operation between IAF and RAF took place at Air Force Station Hindan in Uttar Pradesh. In 2020 the focus of this exercise was base defence and force protection. Hindan Air Force exercise is the 8th largest airbase globally and the largest airbase in Asia, which operates under western air command. 

Key points of Indra Dhanush Air Force Exercise

• Indra Dhanush is a joint Air Force exercise conducted between the Indian Air Force and the British Royal Air Force. 
• The 5th edition of this exercise took place on 24th February 2020 and was formally completed on 29th February 2020.
• The focus of the Indra Dhanush exercise was to create strong two-sided relationships and increase operational capabilities to defeat terrorism in their installations.
• Thirty-six specialised warriors from the Royal Air Force and 42 Garud Commando Force from the Indian Air Force have participated in this exercise.
• This exercise was held in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2015, details of which will be discussed in the upcoming points.

Importance of Indra Dhanush Exercise

The 5th edition of this exercise was held in Hindon Air Force Station, and its aim was base defence and force protection. The theme of this exercise was significant as they aimed to enhance operational understanding between two air forces and strengthen the relationships through close interaction, which is important to counter the terrorist threat to military establishments. This exercise provides a platform through which both air forces can share their strategies and tactics against terrorism and combat the terrorist threats to military establishments, which is considered the significant importance of the Indra Dhanush Exercise. 

The special missions of India Uk joint Air Force Exercise are surrounded by airfield seizure, base defence, and terror operations in urban built-up zones. Through this exercise, both the IAF and the RAF gain the ability to transfer each other’s operation experience, training philosophy, contemporary technologies, and best practices. Both Air Force teams have specialised weapons and equipment, Validate joint employability, and execute their missions based on the scenarios and their jointly worked out plans.

How Exercise Indra Dhanush Helps to Strengthen the Air Force Relationship Between India and UK?

The Indra Dhanush exercise between India UK and other nations helps increase the bond between these countries. It also helps to realise the potential and capacity of the individual air forces of these countries. This Air Force operation between India and the United Kingdom is the 8th largest Air Force exercise globally. The 5th edition of the end rush exercise took place in Uttar Pradesh, India. The India UK joint Air Force Exercise signifies the enablement of airpower delivery through counter-intelligence and cross-domain security. 

List of Indra Dhanush Exercises that India had held

2006: In 2006, the first-ever Indra Dhanush exercise was held by India. It was held between the 2nd and 13th of October in the Gwalior Air Force station.

2007: This was the second edition of the Indra Dhanush exercise, and it was held in RAF Waddington, UK. The Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Ilyushin IL-78 MKI, a refuelling tanker, represented India in this exercise.

2010: The third exercise edition of the Indra Dhanush was held between 18th October and 3rd November. Mikoyan MiG-27s, Sukhoi Su-30 MKIs, Dassault Mirage 2000s,  an AWAC Beriev A-50 belonging to 50 Squadron, and the refuelling tanker knew to be the Ilyushin IL-78 MKI belonging to the 78 Squadron represented India in this edition of the exercise.

2015: The Indra Dhanush fourth edition was held in the UK between 21st and 30th July in the RAF Brize Norton and RAF Coningsby. Four Sukhoi Su-30MKI’s and one Ilyushin IL-78 MKI represented India in this exercise. A couple of jets representing the UK were Airbus 330 MRTT, Eurofighter Typhoon, etc. Multiple engagements, which included within visual range and beyond visual range, para dropping missions were observed between the two nations.

Conclusion

In this article, we briefly discussed the Indra Dhanush, an India UK joint Air Force Exercise. An overview of the importance of this exercise has been spoken about here, which certainly helps strengthen bonds between the two countries both in political terms and in terms of army and firepower. We have also seen briefings about the different editions of the Indra Dhanush exercise performed in India and the UK in the previous four years.