India-U.K. Air Exercise Set For Oct. 18 To Nov. 3

OPERATIONS
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Oct 13 , 2010 , p. 06
Neelam Mathews
NEW DELHI — The Indo-U.K. air force exercise “Indradhanush” will take place at Air Force Station Kalaikunda in East India from Oct. 18 to Nov. 3. The exercise is an effort to share experience and skills and fine-tune procedures for multinational operations, which are likely to occur with greater frequency in the future. For the first time, the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) will bring Typhoons to a joint exercise with India. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will be using Su-30 MKIs, Mirage 2000s, Mig-27s and Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) Aircraft. The RAF also plans to deploy its E-3D AWACS and VC-10 midair refuelers. “The exercise is an opportunity for both the air forces to get an insight into each other’s operational philosophies and work cultures,” says Air Marshal K.K. Nohwar, commanding air officer of Eastern Air Command. “This will greatly enhance the understanding of our Air Force to operate in scenarios involving state-of-the-art technologies.” This will be the first time IAF AWACS will participate in a joint air force exercise. During Indradhanush, specific emphasis will be placed on exposing more IAF aircrew and controllers to missions routinely undertaken by the RAF as part of coalition/expeditionary force deployments. Air Force Station Kalaikunda has become a popular choice for hosting international exercises. The IAF earlier held exercises with forces from other countries including the U.S., France, South Africa and Oman.