Big Boys play war-games

Photos

Air Force | United States Air Force (USAF)

see larger image

uploaded by Mritunjay

• 

  uploaded by Mritunjay | add comment

• 

  uploaded by Mritunjay | add comment

While the US forces are engaged in fierce battle in Afghanistan with critical aid from NATO forces and Pakistan, the United States Air Force (USAF) is joined forces with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to kick start a major joint-training exercise at the Agra Air Force Station in India. The Agra Air Force base is one of the largest in South East Asia.

Code named “Cope India-2009” this is a five-day training exercise which is sixth in a series of such trainings. Cope India-2009 will focus not only on transport operations, but also strategic insertion and extraction of special forces in hostile zones, as also searching for pilots, who may have crashed in enemy territory, and rescuing them.

The USAF brings along with it a vast experience of such combat techniques learnt from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The tactical insertion of commandoes and rescue missions will also help Indian forces in the long term as well as if needed during internal operations like combing the naxal-hit regions which need guerilla warfare know-how.

The IAF had recently bought C-130J aircraft for India's Special Forces operations and this training would strengthen its know-how of using the planes to best use.

The USAF has fielded in about 150 troop members for the training exercise who seemed to be excited about the opportunity to train with the IAF men.

IAF is now recognizing the importance of increased operational reach and military diplomacy in the Indian Ocean littoral and has off late has increased the frequency of such operations. IAF has recently completed training exercises with South Africa and Singapore too.

IAF is also scheduled to do a joint air exercises this week with Oman, considered India’s strongest partner in the sensitive Gulf region, under the operation name “Eastern Bridge”,.