New Delhi, 12 September (H.S.): “Today’s landmark event is an opportunity to celebrate the

grand achievements of the Indian Air Force. We are not only celebrating the

achievements of being the fastest growing economy, but also taking pride that

our armed forces are now being considered as one of the most powerful in the

world,” said Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh while addressing the gathering at the

Distinguished Visitors’ Day event in the second phase of the multinational

exercise in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh has termed Multinational

Exercise 'Tarang Shakti' as an effort to strengthen cooperation, coordination

and trust with the partner countries, said that through Tarang Shakti, India

has further strengthened its defence ties with all partner countries and

instills confidence among them that whenever the need arises, we all will stand

together.

Reiterating India’s vision of mutual coexistence and

cooperation, Raksha Mantri said that our nation believes in all nations

marching together holding each others hands. “When an exercise of such

complexity and large magnitude takes place, soldiers with different work

cultures, air combat experiences and war fighting principles learn a lot from

each other,” Raksha Mantri said.

Elaborating further, Raksha Mantri said, “At the time of

independence the Indian Air Force had only six squadrons of two types of

aircraft. Similarly, the rest of the war equipment was not only old but also

limited in number. But today, equipped with the best and modern aircrafts from

around the world and next generation equipment, the Indian Air Force has

transformed itself.”

Referring to the recent collaboration of Hindustan

Aeronautics Limited with the French company Safran Helicopter Engines, Raksha

Mantri said that we have transformed ourselves from being only an importer of

arms and equipment to a nation which today exports arms and equipment to about

90 countries. He further said, “Domestic defence sector has taken strong

steps towards indigenisation in the manufacturing of weapons, platforms,

aircraft etc. Today we have become self-reliant to a greater extent in the manufacturing

of Light Combat Aircraft, Sensors, Radars and in executing electronic warfare.”

Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also

graced the Distinguished Visitors’ Day event at Exercise Tarang Shakti. Chief

of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief

Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of

Naval Staff (CNS) Adm Dinesh K Tripathi, and senior military leaders from

friendly foreign nations attended the event.

The event showcased a display by the Agniveer Vayu Women Air

Warrior Drill Team (AWDT) and demonstrations from the LCA Tejas, LCH Prachand,

Sarang & SKAT teams.

Later in the day, Raksha Mantri inaugurated the prestigious

International Defence and Aerospace Expo (IDAX-24), which showcased India’s

commitment to indigenous defence manufacturing and aerospace innovation.

The event saw enthusiastic participation from startups,

MSMEs, and major aeronautical industries, with sixty-eight industry players

presenting cutting-edge defence technologies. With participation from seven

nations and twenty-one observer countries in phase two of the exercise, IDAX-24

underscored international collaboration, fostering dialogue, cooperation, and

the exchange of expertise, further strengthening India’s global standing in

defence and aerospace.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Nimish kumar