The Indian Air Force (IAF) has carried out firing of the indigenously developed Akash missile system along with Russian short-range Igla missiles as part of a drill at air force station Suryalanka in Andhra Pradesh.

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, the IAF said that Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS) Air Marshal HS Arora witnessed the surface-to-air guided weapons firing drill on December 1. The firing of the missiles was carried out as part of an exercise from November 23 to December 2, officials told news agency PTI.

The IAF tweeted, “Air Marshal HS Arora, VCAS witnessed Missile Firing at IAF Station #Suryalanka on 01 Dec. Indigenous Akash and Russian Igla missiles were fired.”

It added, “He commended all personnel for professionalism and urged them to be ready to apply lessons learnt to any emerging operational scenario.”

“Akash missile system along with Russian short-range Igla missiles were fired and engaged the Manoeuvrable Expendable Aerial Targets (MEAT) providing near realistic training to the combat crew,” an IAF official told PTI.

“While the country continues to face the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19 pandemic, Indian Air Force continues to hone its operational capabilities with an eye on the prevailing security situation,” PTI reported him as saying

In his address to the air warriors, Air Marshal Arora commended the participating combat squadrons for their professionalism. He urged the air warriors to be ready to apply the lessons learnt in the exercise in any emerging operational scenario, officials told PTI.