First Vertical Wind Tunnel for Combat Training Inaugurated

• 28 Oct 2023

In a significant development for the Indian Army, a state-of-the-art wind tunnel designed to enhance military trainees' combat free fall skills has been inaugurated in Himachal Pradesh.

Key Points

• Pioneering Facility: The Indian Army's Special Forces Training School (SFTS) at Bakloh has introduced the "Indian Army's first Vertical Wind Tunnel (VWT)" to augment combat training, becoming a pioneer in this field.
• Enhancing Combat Free Fall Skills: The new Vertical Wind Tunnel (VWT) offers a controlled environment where trainees can practice and refine their Combat Free Fall (CFF) skills, simulating real-life free fall conditions to prepare for various airborne scenarios.
• Benefits of the VWT: The VWT functions as a free fall simulator, creating specific air columns with different velocities to orchestrate diverse CFF conditions.
• It helps assess individual reactions to various situations in an airborne operating environment, reducing potential instability in the air and during parachute deployment.
• Advanced Training: This facility is not only valuable for beginners but also serves as a resource for delivering advanced training to experienced free-fallers and CFF instructors.
• Modernizing Training Infrastructure: The installation of the Vertical Wind Tunnel aligns with the Indian Army's efforts to modernize its training infrastructure.
• Operational Readiness: The introduction of this first-of-its-kind project in the Indian Army is expected to significantly enhance the operational readiness of the special forces, ensuring they are well-prepared to face contemporary challenges on present and future battlefields.
• Faster and Precise Training: The VWT promises faster and more precise training outcomes for military personnel.