AVIATION NEWS                                      Back To Index Page
Feb 2007

AWAIRCRAFTS participates in Indo-French air exercise

     New Delhi: This is the first time that AWAIRCRAFTS of France is taking part in a bilateral exercise between Indian Air Force (IAF) and French Air Force (FAF), which is going on at Kalaikunda air base of Eastern Air Command in West Bengal. The joint exercise which is named Garuda III, will go on till Feb 23. This is the third such exercise of its kind. The last joint exercise was held in Istres air base, France. During Garuda III, the IAF is being represented by its major fleets namely the Su-30 MKI, Mirage-2000 and the MIG-27 aircraft. The FAF would field the Mirage 2000-5, the M-2000 D and the E-3F AWAIRCRAFTS aircraft. The two weeks of the air exercises is designed to refine pilot and team skills of both countries. The IAF and FAF will engage in mock air battles in a simulated battlefield environment. This exercise, while allowing pilots of the IAF an opportunity to refine their aerial fighting skills, would signal the growing commitment of the Indian armed forces to constructively engage the international community in confidence building.
-Feb 13, 2007