A combined guided weapon firing exercise named “Crossbow-18” was conducted between December 3 and 13 at the Air Force Station, Suryalanka, under the aegis of Southern Air Command.
Various surface-to-air missile systems such as the indigenously developed Akash, Spyder, Osa-AK-M and IGLA carried out drills and live firing for the first time on manoeuvrable aerial targets. Live firing at night added to the uniqueness and complexity of the exercise. Participation of SU-30 fighter aircraft made it operationally realistic.
The live firing helped Air Force in validating the air defence philosophy by integrating both legacy and modern surface-to-air guided weapon systems and the Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS). It was a unique event in the history of the IAF and is a pre-cursor to the modernisation of the Suryalanka range.
Personnel from over 20 surface-to-air guided weapon squadrons participated in the exercise.
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, and Air Marshal B. Suresh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command, witnessed the exercise. Senior officers, including AOC-in-C, Western Air Command, and officers from Air headquarters and various air commands visited the station.