President Droupadi Murmu will witness the Indian Air Force’s Exercise ‘Vayu Shakti’ in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, today. President Murmu arrived in Jaisalmer last evening on a two-day visit to the state. The Defence Ministry has informed that prior to the exercise, the President will fly a sortie in indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) – ‘Prachand’. The mission will be undertaken as a two aircraft LCH formation, with Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amarpreet Singh, flying in the second LCH.

 

Notably, the LCH ‘Prachand’ is India’s first indigenously designed and developed combat helicopter, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The helicopter has been designed to operate across diverse terrains, ranging from deserts to high-altitude regions.

 

After this, the President will attend the Indian Air Force’s mega demonstration ‘Vayu Shakti’ at the Pokhran Field Firing Range near the India-Pakistan border in the evening. During the event, various aircraft of the Indian Air Force will showcase their operational capabilities. Besides the President, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma will also be present at the programme.