India & US to kick off major air combat exercise at Kalaikunda this month, with Japan as ‘observer’ | India News
NEW DELHI: Keeping up the high tempo of bilateral and multilateral air combat wargames, the Indian Air Force is now all set to kick off an exercise with the US Air Force (USAF) at the Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal this month.The `Cope India’ exercise from April 10 to 21 will “further enhance operational capability and interoperability between the two air forces”. Japan, significantly, will also take part as an “observer” in the exercise, which will witness “air combat and mobility elements” operating from multiple air bases like Kalaikunda, Panagarh, Agra and Hindon.The IAF will be fielding the French-origin Rafale, Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI and indigenous Tejas fighters as well as AEW&C (airborne early-warning and control) planes, C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift aircra...