Two days after 40 CRPF military were killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said today that the Indian Air Force will always be ready to deliver an "appropriate response", as assigned by the political leadership.

 "The IAF is ever equipped to deliver a suitable response as assign by our political leadership. It will always remain at the forefront in executing its missions," he said at the induction of the Vayu Shakti exercise, a massive day and night drills in Pokhran, Rajasthan.

"I wish to guarantee the nation of the IAF's means and pledge in meeting national security challenge and defensive dominion of our country," he said.

Around 140 fighter jets, helicopters and the large range of missiles were used by the IAF in the firepower expression close to the border with Pakistan, two days after the Pulwama attack.

 Top IAF source said though the Vayu Shakti implement was planned in advance, the drill was an expression of the force's capability to hit targets with "pinpoint accuracy".

After the Pulwama attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said refuge forces have been given full freedom to get even against the attack. India has also said it will make sure "whole segregation" of Pakistan globally for its support to terror groups.

"While wars are fought few and far between, we have an ever-present sub-conventional threat as enemy knows it cannot defeat us in a conservative conflict," the IAF chief said, in a clear reference to Pakistan.

 "So, today we showcase our ability to punish, to insert and extract troops from hostile territories," he said.