Overview
- Murmu completed a roughly 25‑minute co‑pilot sortie in the indigenous LCH Prachand from Jaisalmer, delivering a cockpit message that hailed the helicopter as a symbol of self‑reliance.
- The sortie launched as a two‑helicopter LCH formation, with Air Chief Marshal A P Singh flying in the second aircraft after the President’s pre‑flight briefing at the IAF station.
- Vayu Shakti 2026 ran from day into night near the India–Pakistan border, featuring over 120–130 aircraft across fighters, transports and helicopters, including Rafale, Su‑30MKI, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, MiG‑29, C‑130J, C‑295, ALH Dhruv and LCH Prachand.
- The IAF simulated elements of Operation Sindoor with coordinated strikes, suppression of enemy air defences, layered air defence firings such as Akash, special‑forces insertions, assault landings and an AKASH missile launch.
- Authorities enforced tight security and a temporary no‑fly zone from Chandan to Pokhran, and the Tejas Mk‑1 did not participate as the IAF conducts safety checks following a recent ground incident.