Operation Kaveri: How IAF’s C-130J Aircraft Rescued 121 Stranded Indians From Sudan

Operation Kaveri is conducted by the Indian Armed Forces to evacuate stranded Indian citizens and foreign nationals from Sudan. The operation is known to be quite tricky due to lack of ground support and uncertainty.

As part of Operation Kaveri, 121 people were rescued from a small airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna, which is located near the Sudanese capital city of Khartoum. This mission was carried out for people who had no means to reach Port Sudan.

However, what made this mission stand out is that it was carried out at night on an airstrip with no lights and a degraded surface. This dangerous rescue mission demanded a tactical approach, which the Indian Armed Forced delivered with the help of C-130J heavy-lift aircraft.

Diving into details, the Indian Armed Forces used Electro-Optical and Infrared sensors to scout the airstrip to ensure there were no potential threats in the area and the runway was free from any obstructions.

As soon as the C-130J heavy-lift aircraft landed, eight IAF Garud Commandos quickly secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft. In fact, this whole mission was carried out in just two and a half hours.

For which, part of the credit goes to the C-130J heavy-lift aircraft. This aircraft is a heavily updated version of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft, and is sometimes called the Super Hercules.

The Indian Government purchased 6 units of these aircraft back in 2008 at a cost of $1.059 billion (Rs 8,655 crore). Later, the Indian Government ordered 6 more of this aircraft to its fleet citing its excellent performance in the 2011 Sikkim earthquake relief operations.

Speaking about the C-130J, the heavy-lift aircraft is operated by a 3-member crew which includes 2 pilots and 1 loadmaster. In addition to that, the aircraft can also carry 92 passengers onboard.

Furthermore, the C-130J Super Hercules uses four Rolls-Royce AE 2100D3 turboprop engines. These engines together produce a total of 18,549bhp of power, which helps the aircraft reach speeds up to 670km/h at an altitude of 22,000ft.

The complication of the Kaveri Operation hasn’t stopped the Indian Armed Forces from carrying out this mission at the airstrip in Wadi Sayyidna. Living up to its name, the C-130J Super Hercules supported brave hearts who participated in the operation without breaking a sweat.