This exercise, to be conducted early next month, will involve frontline fighters, helicopters, other aircraft, and drones. From February 1 to February 5, the Eastern Air Command, which has its headquarters in Shillong, will participate in a “command-level” exercise to evaluate its operational preparedness.

According to a source quoted by TOI, “it will encompass all eastern sector assets, including Rafales and Sukhoi-30MKI fighters flying from air bases including Hasimara, Tezpur, and Chabua.”

After the physical skirmishes between Indian and Chinese soldiers at Yangtse in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9, the IAF also carried out a two-day drill in the northeast last month.

“The forthcoming exercise will be bigger in scale and will include a variety of platforms, including C-130J ‘Super Hercules’ aircraft, Chinook heavy-lift and Apache attack helicopters, among others,” TOI reported quoting the source.