IAF Flexes Muscle Near LoC: 'Exercise Aakraman' Amid Rising Indo-Pak Tensions After Pahalgam Attack

Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted "Tower Exercise Aakraman" along the Line of Control (LoC) after the terror strike at Pahalgam, in which 26 civilians lost their lives on April 22. The biggest exercise involved Rafale fighter planes, Su-30MKIs, and transport aircraft conducting simulated combat and electronic warfare missions along the central sector, which encompasses areas of the Indo-Pak border. Rafales from Hashimara and Ambala air bases were tasked to carry out the operations, practicing long-range precision strike and mountain warfare combat battles, while Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft monitored the enemy movement.

The exercise, meant to replicate high-level intensity operations conflict, coincided with Pakistan's shooting down of 1972 Simla Agreement that ratified the LoC. IAF assets were being diverted from eastern bases, with pilots flying ground attack and electronic countermeasures using advanced weapons like Meteor air-to-air missiles and Rampage guided bombs. 

Defence sources also added that the exercises were aimed at enhancing readiness against immediate threats, particularly after the Pahalgam attack—the Lashkar-offshoot The Resistance Front (TRF) attack—linked to Pakistan-sponsored militants.

Indian Navy, subsequently, test-fired a round in the Arabian Sea on board INS Surat as a platform for medium-range surface-to-air missiles to be fired when the Army stepped up counter-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir. Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited LoC and hinterland security with an emphasis on "zero tolerance for cross-border terrorism."

The Pahalgam attack and subsequent military drills have put both countries in high operating readiness.

 The IAF exercise shows India's doctrine to retaliate against aggression and showcase rapid-strike capability through advanced platforms like the S-400 air defense and electronic warfare suites on Rafale.