Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) The last time around, it was a no-contest but this time the Sukhoi SU-30 combat jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be stretched to the limit as they take on the Eurofighter Typhoons of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in aerial war games that begin in Kalaikunda in West Bengal Oct 18.

The 17-day Exercise Indradhanush will, for the first time, also feature the IAF’s newly acquired IL-78 airborne warning and control systems (AWACS).

The RAF had deployed its Tornadoes the last time the exercise was held at Gwalior in 2007 but they were no match for the SU-30s as was evident from the black “kill marks” on their tails when they landed.

The Typhoon, which is one of the six fighters in contention for an IAF order for 126 combat jets, was displayed at the 2009 Bangalore International Air Show but this will be the first time it will be seen in an operational role in this country.

“Along with the intent of improving cooperating at international level, the aim of this joint exercise is to enhance mutual understanding and refine procedures for future joint exercise between the two air forces,” Wing Commander Mahesh Upasani, the Kolkata-based chief public relations officer of the defence ministry, told IANS.

Apart from the SU-30s, the IAF will also be fielding its Mirage 2000 and MiG-27 fighters. On its part, the RAF will also be the E-3D Sentry (AWACS) and the VC-10 air-to-air refuellers.

According to the Air Marshal K.K. Nohwar, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, “Exercise Indradhanush is an opportunity for both the air forces to get an insight into each others operational philosophies and work cultures. This will greatly enhance the understanding of our air force to operate in scenario involving state of the art technologies”.

In a written brief to the participating aircrews, Air Marshal L.K. Malhotra, Senior Air Staff Officer of the Eastern Air Command, said: “This exercise will prove to be a boon for both the nations to fine tune their procedures for multinational operations, which are likely to happen with greater frequency in future. It will help fine tune tactics for large force engagements and also share each others experience to hone up the skills even more.”