Bengaluru: At least 24 aircraft performed dress rehearsal for Aero India yesterday at the Yelahanka Air Force Station. It was Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) which dominated the flying display.

Aircraft ranging from the vintage Dakota to Saras prototype (still being developed) were part of the rehearsal. Three aerobatic teams — the Sarang, Surya Kirans, and an international team Yakovlevs — enthralled the audience.

Aero Show amidst tight security: In the wake of the ghastly terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir where 44 CRPF jawans were killed, the Aero India show, which begins from tomorrow in Bengaluru, will take off amidst tight security cover in and around the Yelahanka Air Force base.

City Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar said that three layer security has been planned with Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) handling the security arrangements inside the airbase, Air Force Police comprising commando and quick reaction teams providing security outside the venue and the third layer of security cover is being given by the City Police, led by Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Seemanth Kumar Singh, who is also the nodal officer for security cover.

The number of CCTVs installed inside and outside the venue has been doubled from the previous time. The Police Chief said that 15 monitoring

centres have been put up around the venue with armed Police personnel being deployed in high-rise buildings to monitor suspicious activities and take necessary action.

Three control rooms have been set up to coordinate with Central security agencies and disaster management teams besides four crisis management squads to be deployed at strategic locations and patrol the designated areas.

Heavy Police security has been provided around the Aero Show venue in residential localities and villages with  intensified patrolling and regular checks on people and passersby. Anti-sabotage check, bomb disposal squads and dog squads have been pressed into service to carry out random checks on a regular basis.

The hotels where VIPs, guests and DRDO scientists have been put up has been provided with high security.

Air Defence System to monitor unauthorised flying objects in the vicinity of the aero show has also been set up by the City Police with the help of Central Security agencies and officials have been authorised to shoot down such objects.

Two Air Force Aircraft Crash During Rehearsal Today

Two aircraft of Indian Air Force’s Suryakiran Aerobatic Team crashed in Bengaluru today, a day before the opening of the Aero India show, a top Police official said. The accident took place at around 11.50 am during a rehearsal session at the Yelahanka airbase in North Bengaluru.

Two out of the three pilots of the jets have ejected safely, initial reports said. Details of the third pilot are not known so far.