From Mirage 2000 fighters to Heron Drones, know 8 IAF' s weaponry used to execute air strikes on JeM terror camps

The Indian Air Force Mirage fighter jets in the wee hours of Tuesday carried out precision aerial strikes to destroy JeM terror camps well within Pakistan territory, killing more than 200 Jaish-E-Mohammad terrorists.

The strikes were a well thought of a plan by the Indian Air Force which left the Pakistan Air force completely bamboozled. (Image: Representational/ IAF)

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force Mirage fighter jets in the wee hours of Tuesday carried out precision aerial strikes to destroy JeM terror camps well within Pakistan territory, killing more than 200 Jaish-E-Mohammad terrorists. The strikes conducted by the Indian Air Force is seen as a retaliatory step by our security forces for avenging the death of our CRPF soldiers, who succumbed to injuries in the dastardly terror attack carried out by JeM in Pulwama a fortnight ago. The strikes were a well thought of a plan by the Indian Air Force which left the Pakistan Air force completely bamboozled owing to the deception and stealth tactics used by the IAF. The clinical execution of the air strikes by Mirage jets could only be possible due to the activation of Netra Airborne EW&C and deployment of Heron drone to keep an eye on Pakistan Air Force jets and anti-aircraft radars during the strikes. The IAF deployed its Netra AEW&C and Heron UAV- which are termed as ‘Eye in the Sky’ – to monitor the movement of Pakistan Air Force jets and anti-aircraft radars installed across the LoC on Tuesday. The Sukhoi - 30 fighter jets were also flown out as backups to the Mirage jets in case of any interception and engagement by the Pakistan fighters on our fighter jets in their air space. Here is the list of equipment used by the Indian Air Force to carry out the air strikes with clinical precision: 1. Mirage 2000 Fighter Jet It is a French multirole fighter jet built by Dassault Aviation. The Mirage 2000 is a single-engine fourth-generation jet fighter which was inducted into the IAF in 1978. Post its commissioning into the Indian Air Force, it was dubbed as 'Vajra,' meaning lightening thunderbolt in Sanskrit. Mirage 2000 is equipped to carry a range of air-to-surface missiles and weapons including laser-guided bombs. 2. Sukhoi Su-30MKI The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is the most advanced fighter jet in operation with the Indian Air Force and is the primary air to air and air to ground strike machine. Also known as Flanker (NATO), the Su-30 MKI is built in India by HAL under the license agreement with Russia’s Sukhoi. 3. GBU-12 Paveway Laser Guided Bomb These are American aerial bombs developed by US defence contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. They are currently in use by armed forces of countries like the US, Saudi Arabia, Australia and various NATO airforces. 4. Matra Magic Close Combat Missile It is a short-range air-to-air missile designed by French company Matra. The Magic has 4 fixed fins, 4 movable fins directly behind the fixed fins, and 4 notched fins on the tail, which is mounted on a bearing and is free to rotate independently of the missile. Apart from India, Pakistan, France and Egypt also use this missile. 5. LITENING Pod: The AN/AAQ-28(V) LITENING Targeting pod is an advanced precision targeting pod system currently operational with a wide variety of aircraft worldwide. The research and development of the LITENING was first undertaken by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems' Missiles Division in Israel, with subsequent completion of LITENING I for use in the Israeli Air Force. It significantly increases the combat effectiveness of the aircraft during day, night and under-the-weather conditions in the attack of ground and air targets with a variety of standoff weapons. 6. Netra Airborne Early Warning Jet Developed by the state-run Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), it was instrumental in guiding the jets towards the targets. Airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is a multisensor developed by DRDO on a carrier jet which provides an airborne surveillance system in collaboration with CAB (Centre for Airborne Systems) for the Indian Air Force. It is the first native AEW system developed by DRDO and CAB. 7. Ilyushin-78M  This is a Soviet four-engined aerial refuelling tanker based on the Il-76 strategic airlifter. It is also used by China, Pakistan. The Il-78 has a total transferable fuel load of 85,720 kg, which includes 28,000 kilograms from a pair of 18,230-litre tanks in the freight hold. 8. Heron Drone The IAI Heron (Machatz-1) is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the Malat (UAV) division of Israel Aerospace Industries. It is capable of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) operations ++of up to 52 hours' duration at up to 10.5 km (35,000 ft).