A state-of-the-art wind tunnel, a first-of-its-kind in the Indian Army, that offers a controlled environment to enable military trainees to enhance their skills by simulating real-life free fall conditions, has been inaugurated at a training school in Himachal Pradesh.

• Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande virtually inaugurated "Indian Army's first Vertical Wind Tunnel (VWT)", the defence ministry said in a statement.
• The wind tunnel at the Special Forces Training School (SFTS) at Bakloh is set to refine the Combat Free Fall (CFF) skills of armed forces personnel, officials said. 
• The VWT’s integration into the CFF training curriculum at SFTS brings forth numerous pay-offs. The system simulates varied free fall scenarios which is crucial in assessing individual reactions to numerous situations in an airborne operating environment, the ministry said.
• It reduces potential instability in the air and during parachute deployment thereby assisting trainees to get used to free-fall conditions. The VWT is not only beneficial for beginners but also an exceptional resource for delivering advanced training to seasoned free-fallers and CFF instructors, it said.