BENGALURU: Aero India 2023 took off on a high, with scintillating displays by the Indian Air Force's arsenal of fixed-wing and rotor aircraft.
Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in at Air Force Station Yelahanka, he was greeted from the air by a flypast led by four Mi-17 helicopters, each carrying a flag - the Tricolour, of the IAF, Aero India and the G20 of which India is the president this year.
With the hymn being Atmanirbhar Bharat, the next formation involved 15 helicopters, led by a Light Utility Helicopter, the latest machine to roll out of HAL. The idea was to display India's way forward in emerging as a major producer of military hardware for the country and the world. A few other formations followed, involving Sukhoi 30 MKIs, MiG-29s, and Jaguars, enthralling an already excited gathering.
Later, following the inauguration, the Sukhoi 30 MKI, Tejas and Suryakirans carried out some breathtaking maneuvers, depicting the might of the Air Force and the valour of the men and women who fly and keep these machines in the air.
This Aero India is slated to be the biggest till date, where 67 aircraft are expected to show off their capabilities.