Sayan Chatterjee,
New Delhi : The Indian Air Force is participating in a bilateral exercise between Indian and French Air Force named Exercise ‘Garuda-VI’ in France from 01-12, Jul 19. This is the sixth edition of Exercise Garuda and is being planned at French Air Force Base, Mont-de-Marsan. The last exercise, ‘Garuda V’ was held at Air Force Station Jodhpur in Jun 2014.
An IAF contingent comprising of 120 air-warriors and four Su-30 MKI along with an IL-78 Flight Refueling aircraft, which shall participate during the exercise. C-17 strategic lift aircraft has been reported to provide the logistic support to the contingent during the induction and de-induction phase of the Ex.
This is one of the biggest air exercises that is being planned between the two Air Forces. The Indian Air Force Su-30 MKI will be operating in a simulated operational war fighting scenario along with French Air Forces multirole Rafale aircraft. This will enhance understanding of interoperability during mutual operations between the two Air Forces and provide an opportunity to learn from each other’s best practices.
Participation of IAF in the exercise will also promote professional interaction, exchange experiences and operational knowledge besides strengthening bilateral relations with the French Air Force. It will also provide a good opportunity to the air warriors to operate in an international environment. The IAF team departed from Air Force Station Bareily and Agra on 25 Jun 19.
( The writer is a Delhi-based independent contributor to print and online publications )
