The IAF’s participation in the multi-national Red Flag Exercise has pushed the Indo-US strategic partnership a notch higher.

Homecoming at pune on september 13 brought to an end the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) over two-month long western odyssey. On July 7, eight Su-30MKIs of No. 20 squadron ex-Pune with two IL-78 mid-air refuellers and an IL-76 transport support aircraft of No. 78 and No. 44 squadron, respectively, left the Indian shores, winging their way halfway across the globe into western hemisphere to participate in the US sponsored Red Flag Exercise conducted from Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas in Nevada. The world renowned exercise was instituted by the USAF after the Vietnam War with an aim to train combat pilots to survive in war and win. Over the years it has grown in size and stature to acquire the present international status.

Encouraged by the ever strengthening Indo-US strategic partnership and a defence cooperation agreement inked by the two countries, air forces of both the countries had engaged in a number of bilateral exercises in each other’s skies. The IAF’s participation in the multi-national Red Flag Exercise has pushed the Indo-US strategic partnership a notch higher. This year, apart from the IAF, the French Air Force (FAF) with Rafales and the South Korean Air Force (ROKAF) with F-15K Slam Eagles matched skills with the USAF’s F-15C Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles, EA-6B Prowlers, E-3B AWACS, KC-135 air-to-air refuellers and AN FPS-75 GCI radars.