I dont quite agree. Any exercise is governed by a carefully devised setting with limiting groundrules. This exercise was no different, with the emphasis being on evaluating the crew/machine/environment in an existing situation which prevailed. Obviously, it would make little sense and prove little to pitt a F-15 against a MiG-23BN - but the composite package and weapon-mix, of which the MiG-23BN could very well be a part, would be a different situation altogether (which was the case)Hitesh wrote:Nitin, when the Americans came to Gwalior, they did not bring their system such as AWACs, refueling tankers, SEAD etc. so your arguments about the IAF system being good remains to be seen because the IAF system has not been fully tested........ If the Americans had brought one whole squadron like 24 planes, an AWACs, refueling tanker, and other components that would complete a strike or tactical system and brought it to bear against the IAF system, only then we can actually test and judge the IAF system.
AEW, AWACS and air refuelling were irrelevent as far as this exercise was concerned. The point is... how did the USAF fare in an environment which depended more on brain and less on brawn?