The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) are gearing up for the second iteration of Exercise Udarashakti, a bilateral air combat training exercise. According to a social media post by the RMAF, preparations were underway following a Concept Development Conference (CDC) held at the Kuantan Air Base in Malaysia from Apr. 25th to 27th.
Photo: RMAF
The upcoming exercise, designated Udarashakti Series 4/24, is scheduled to take place from Aug. 5th to 9th. This builds upon the success of the inaugural Exercise Udarashakti conducted in 2022, which saw the participation of four Su-30MKI fighter jets from the IAF’s No. 20 Squadron.
In contrast to the 2022 iteration where the IAF contingent participated in Exercise Udarashakti while on their way to Exercise Pitch Black in Australia, this year the IAF will be flying to Malaysia for the exercise after completing Exercise Pitch Black and returning to India.
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will be deploying Su-30MKM fighter jets from 12 Squadron for Exercise Udarashakti Series 4/24. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will be sending fighter jets from two squadrons: No. 106 Squadron and No. 31 Squadron. Both the RMAF and IAF aircraft are variants of the Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker family, promoting compatibility and simplifying joint training exercises.
The focus of Exercise Udarashakti is likely to be on enhancing interoperability and conducting joint combat maneuvers between the two air forces. The participation of Su-30MKM and Su-30MKI aircraft, variants of the same Flanker design, facilitates compatibility and streamlines joint training exercises.