A fighter pilot sporting a gunslinger moustache like that of wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman – who was held captive in Pakistan for 60 hours after his plane was shot down in February, 2019 following the Balakot airstrike – can be seen in a teaser of a new mobile game titled: ‘Indian Air Force: A Cut Above’.
On July 31, air chief marshal B.S. Dhanoa of the Indian Air Force launched the game at National Bal Bhawan in New Delhi. Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal, the minister of human resource development, also attended the event.
#MobileGame : Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee & the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa launched IAF’s latest 3D Mobile gaming application ‘Indian Air Force: A Cut Above’ on Air Combat at National Bal Bhawan, New Delhi, today.@SpokespersonMoD @PIB_India pic.twitter.com/9JlsGFxybv
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) July 31, 2019
The teaser, which released a month ago, features anti-aircraft guns which the players can control to shoot down enemy aircraft. The one-and-a-half minute video sets up a storyline saying, “I am an air warrior, proud, dependable and fearless. In every act and deed, I put the honour and security of my motherland, first. I fly deep into enemy territory and strike fear in the hearts of my enemies.”
According to Livemint, the IAF launched the game to attract the attention of the youth to entice them to join the armed forces. Manpower, the website says, has been depleting in the air force of late.
“The new facilitation-cum-publicity pavilion and the IAF mobile game have been designed to raise awareness among the youth, like you, about the IAF and inspire them to take up career in air force,” said Pokhriyal addressing the kids at the event.
Back in 2014, the IAF had launched a similar game – ‘Guardians of the Skies‘ – yet again in a bid to woo youngsters into pursuing a career in the air force. The game features a storyline where the IAF fights against a fictitious nation called ‘Zaruzia’, which is politically and economically unstable.
The new game, on the other hand, has new technology and operates of an updated platform to enhance the experience of the players, according to Dhanoa.
Initially, the game would be launched as a single-player version but, according to IAF, the application will be updated with a multi-player version soon. The game is now available in the Google Playstore and on iOS platforms.
Featured image credit: teaser video screengrab