The Indian and US air forces will conclude a 10-day joint air combat exercise involving more than 30 strike aircraft on 25 February, bringing to an end the services' largest bilateral manoeuvres in more than 40 years. "Cope India-04" started on 16 February at Gwalior air base in central India. The US Air Force has deployed six Boeing F-15C fighters to the facility from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, along with one Lockheed C-5 Galaxy and one Lockheed Martin C-130 transport aircraft. The Indian air force has assigned 25 aircraft to the manoeuvres, comprising Sukhoi Su-30, MiG-21bis, MiG-27, MiG-29 and Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters. The exercise will involve around 150 US and 300 Indian personnel. The Indian air force's Sqn Ldr Mahesh Upasni says the Cope India exercise will focus on joint combat operations and the protection of high-value airborne assets. Planned operations also include target intercepts and low- and high-altitude dissimilar air combat training missions, which are intended to boost the services' mutual understanding of operational flying procedures.

Source: Flight International