Rezaul H. Laskar, Kalaikunda (West Bengal): US Air Force pilots
flying sophisticated F-16 jets were in for a few "surprises" when
they squared off with their Indian counterparts in ageing MiG-21
fighters during an exercise at an airbase here.
Though senior Indian and US officials were at pains Thursday to
emphasise Cope India 05 - the largest air force exercise between
the two sides - was all about cooperation and not competition,
others privately admitted the US pilots were often "amazed" by the
performance of the Indians.
The nearly two-week-long wargame that began Nov 7 sparked angry
demonstrations from Left parties opposed to New Delhi's growing
military ties with Washington, but US and Indian pilots were
unconcerned with such protests, focusing instead on training for
possible joint missions in future.
Gen. D. Deptula, vice commander of the US Pacific Air Force, said
the manoeuvres - which featured 12 F-16s flying alongside 26 Indian
jets, including Su-30s, MiG-21s, MiG-29s and Mirage 2000s - led to
increased mutual understanding that would help both countries
respond to "unnamed and unknown" contingencies.
"As these unknown contingencies pop up, we can respond better
without wasting time," Deptula told a news briefing.
Deptula and Air Marshal Fali Major, chief of the Indian Air Force's
(IAF) Eastern Command, insisted that "kills" or successes during
combat missions during Cope India 05 were not tallied or reported,
but other officials from both sides privately said the Indians had
often surprised the American pilots.
Major merely noted that the "home grown ingenuity and skill of IAF
pilots has earned respect from different nations", but some Indian
pilots admitted the performance of the ageing but refurbished
MiG-21s had "dumbfounded" the Americans.
"This happened despite the fact that the Americans had an AWACS
(airborne warning and control system) with them and we had little
experience of operating in an AWACS environment," said an IAF pilot
who did not want to be named.
Deptula brushed aside protests against the exercise by the Left
parties that rule West Bengal state, remarking that the US and
India were democracies whose militaries had to protect the rights
of expression of all sections of society.
"That's what this is all about - protecting the people's right to
articulate their feelings," he said.
Lt. Col. Pete Bastien, a fighter controller on the US E3Sentry
AWACS sent from Japan for the exercise, had plenty of praise for
India's Su-30 multi-role jets. "We had never flown in India and we
had never operated with the IAF. The page was blank and we learnt a
lot during this exercise," he said.
Capt. Ben Mosley, an F-16 pilot, was more forthright. "We're very
proud to be allies with India and happy that we will work with the
IAF," he said after a few training sorties with the Su-30s.
Cope India 05 also marked the return of US forces to Kalaikunda
after nearly 60 years - the airbase was created specifically for US
Army Air Force pilots to ferry supplies to China over the "hump" of
the Himalayas during World War II.
The IAF recently refurbished the airbase for use in future joint
exercise with foreign countries. It will also be "hired" by
the Singapore Air Force early next year for training exercises,
officials said.
Source :
Wah, we going to india for ex again next year?
Source : http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=54604