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Garud troops board and drop from a USAF C-130J and an IAF IL-76 drops American paratroopers. It is not by chance or an error. The venue is Agra and the event is Cope India 09 (CI09), the Indo-US transport exercise. Sixth in the series of Indo-US air exercise that began in Agra, Cope India is focussing on transport operations, insertion and extraction of its special forces in hostile zones, as also searching for pilots, who may have crashed in enemy territory, and rescuing them. A five-day joint exercise involving the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the United States Air Force (USAF), the exercise will be another step towards the new found friendship between the two countries.

“One of the focus of this exercise is joint operations by special forces of both the Indian Air Force and United States Air Force behind enemy lines, such as sending a team into hostile territory or to extricate a pilot, whose aircraft had crashed there,” USAF's Cope India Director Colonel Raymond Lamarche told the media in Agra. The participating IAF aircraft include Il-76, An-32 and Mi-17 helicopters, while the USAF will participate with a C-17 Globemaster-III, a C-130J Super Herclues and and a C-130H transport aircraft. Capt. Nate Padgett, a pilot from the 535th Airlift Squadron at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and 149 other Airmen are participating in Cope India, a United States and India airlift exercise that provides training for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

Inaugurating the joint air force exercise of the two countries, Cope-India, US Ambassador Timothy J Roemer said, “Our relationship has come a long way. “Defence relationship (between India and the US) will be no different than the cooperation in the spheres of energy, science, technology, education, and trade . Strategic and defence cooperation is one of the key pillars of the growing robust strategic partnership”.

Speaking on the US-made military equipment to India, Roemer said, “I know that some are apprehensive about reliability of the US as a supplier of military equipment to India. But I can tell you that our relationship is far different than it was even a few years back,” said Roemer. Referring to the C-130 Super Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft, Roemer said, “I can assure you that the IAF will be very pleased with the decision to purchase the C-130 J. Your first aircraft will arrive in early 2011, a little over a year from now, and it will be everything you hope it to be.

We are proud to partner with you on this important programme,” he said. India has ordered for six C-130 J aircraft for its special forces operations and these aircraft will be based at the Hindon air base in Ghaziabad near the national capital. With regard to C-17, Roemer said a proposal to purchase this aircraft were at present under the Indian Defence Ministry's consideration.

Members of Akash Ganga team of paratroopers made a beautiful sight as they ascended the skies during the opening ceremony of the exercise.