Calling Rafale the ‘hero’ of Operation Sindoor, Vice Chief of Air Staff seeks more fighter planes for IAF

Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) described the Rafale fighter jet as the “hero” of Operation Sindoor and said the Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking to induct more such Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA), with Rafale planes among the contenders.

“Rafale was definitely the hero during Operation Sindoor among other heroes. The Indian Air Force is looking forward to inducting more MRFA, which is going to be Rafale or any other aircraft under deliberations. A concrete decision has yet to be taken. We are looking for newer generation air crafts [to add] into our inventory,” he said.

On reports regarding alleged strikes on Pakistan’s Kirana Hills during the operation, Air Marshal Kapoor said the IAF had targeted terror infrastructure and several military installations. “Whether we did something there or whether the explosion was caused by something else, we don’t know. These videos were presented by their people; we did nothing beyond striking terror and military installations,” he said.

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Exercise to showcase IAF firepower

He was briefing journalists about Vayu Shakti, an upcoming IAF exercise to be held at the Pokharan air-to-ground range near the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan on February 27. The biennial firepower demonstration will highlight the success of Operation Sindoor and the IAF’s capability to rapidly punish the enemy and dominate the operational environment.

More than 120 air assets, including 77 fighter jets, will participate. The lineup includes Rafale, Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, and LCA Tejas aircraft. Helicopters will also take part, including Apache, Chinook, LCH Prachand, and ALH choppers, along with transport aircraft such as the C-130J, C-17, and the C-295, which will make its debut at the event.

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Wing Commander Ajit B. Wasane said that 277 weapons would be deployed during the exercise, which will last two hours and 35 minutes. Around 12,000 kg of explosives will be detonated across 43 events involving 23 targets. Surface-to-air systems such as Akash and SpyDer, Short Range Loitering Munitions, and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems will also be showcased. The drill will feature integrated operations with the Army, including the deployment of M-777 howitzers, L-70 guns, and Special Forces.

Conducted under the South Western Air Command, the exercise assumes added significance as it follows last year’s almost 88-hour military confrontation between India and Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.