India has issued a new series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) covering large-scale air exercises across central and northern India, in what defence officials describe as one of the most extensive air readiness drives in recent months. Beginning November 11, the Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct enhanced operational drills to test its combat readiness, coordination, and rapid response capabilities.
Multiple NOTAMs have been issued for successive dates – November 6–20, followed by additional rounds on December 4 and 18, and January 1 and 15, 2026. These exercises span several forward air bases across the northeastern region, bordering China, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh, as well as key air stations in central India.
The IAF is set to deploy an array of assets, including Rafale, Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000, and Tejas fighter aircraft, along with air defence systems and logistical support units. The drills will simulate multi-domain warfare, involving real-time coordination between air and ground commands.
In view of these exercises, the Indian Air Force (IAF) recently carried out a series of practice emergency landings and takeoffs on a highway strip. This was part of the ongoing ‘Maha Gajraj’ exercise near the India-Pakistan border. Featuring Sukhoi, Jaguar fighter jets as well as the C-295 transport aircraft, the IAF executed landings and takeoffs on a specially constructed 3-km-long and 33-meter-wide airstrip.
What’s behind the heightened air activity?
The timing of these exercises comes amid an atmosphere of regional tension and uncertainty, particularly following the deadly car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro station on Monday evening (November 10, 2025), which killed at least a dozen people. The explosion has triggered security alerts across India.
While officials maintain that the IAF drills were pre-planned, their scale and timing underscore India’s resolve to project deterrence and reinforce air dominance, especially along sensitive frontiers with Pakistan and China.
How has Pakistan responded?
In a near-synchronous development, Pakistan has raised its national security alert to the highest level, following intelligence warnings about possible retaliatory or pre-emptive actions from India after the Delhi blast. According to sources cited by CNN-News18, Pakistan’s Army, Navy, and Air Force have all been placed on high alert.
Islamabad has activated air defence systems and forward-deployed fighter jets placed on standby for immediate scramble. Pakistan’s Central Command has directed all branches to maintain “maximum vigilance,” while its Air Force has issued its own NOTAMs from November 11 to 12, restricting airspace along the India–Pakistan border.
While both India and Pakistan have described their respective measures as “defensive”, the simultaneous activation of airspace restrictions and alert protocols underscores the fragile security environment. Notably, this comes just a few months after Operation Sindoor.