Bharat Rakshak

Cain Marko wrote:If the ATLC exercise results were anything to go by the french bird is certainly no slouch A2A. Can't wait for the upcoming exercises with the CDG wing; it'll be interesting also to see how the 29K stacks up against the Rafale M.

CM

IAF, RAF Chiefs to Fly in Joint-Exercise Missions
Published: October 29, 2010
Ananya Dutta

It is likely that the Chiefs of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) will be flying in the Missions of the ongoing joint-exercises at the IAF's Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district.

Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik of the IAF and Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton of the RAF are expected to join the pilots of the two forces in their operations on November 2, official sources told The Hindu on Thursday.

They will be flying in Su-30 and the Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) aircraft as well as Typhoon Eurofighters. The final phase of ‘Indradhanush,' the India-United Kingdom joint exercise, began at the station during the day.

The exercise began on October 18, but flying missions were started two days later. They will be concluded on November 3. According to a release issued by the Ministry of Defence, a large number of aircraft in offensive and defensive roles are expected to be launched in ‘Waves' in a limited airspace, in the final phase of the exercise. The AWACS of both air forces will also be launched.

With a large number of aircraft in a limited airspace, the skills of both fighter pilots and controllers will be put to test. The High Value Air Asset protection missions will be carried out simultaneously.

“So far, over 120 missions of the exercise have already been flown successfully as part of the joint-exercise,” said Mahesh Upasani, chief Public Relations officer of the Ministry of Defence.

Misraji wrote:Isn't that a strange camo scheme for the Mig-27?
Or is it just the photos??

Moreover Hindu had reported that the primary objective of this exercise is
air-defense and large force engagements.
Then why is the Mig-27 participating in it the first place.
And that too with that camo...

~Ashish.

Kartik wrote: Its the regular low-viz Tipnis gray scheme. The photo quality is really poor.

The MiG-27s are part of the large force engagements. They simulate a large force of strikers that have to be prevented from getting to a target by a screen of mixed IAF and RAF defenders. In turn, the MiG-27 strikers will be escorted by Su-30MKIs and Typhoons who will do their best to allow the strike force to get through the defensive screen unscathed, get to their target and then egress safely.

Pilots of the Royal Air Force said that the purpose of this exercise was to enhance understanding between the Royal Air Force and the Indian Air Force. "The whole purpose of the exercise of the 'Indradhanush' has been to enhance understanding between the Royal Air Force and the Indian Air Force and whosoever increase...competence as an Air Force and it's been on air front a very, very successful exercise," said Guy Lockwood, a pilot of the Royal Air Force of United Kingdom.

"We have learned good things from them. They follow the NATO procedures, we follow our own. When we fought together we realised they have got some good things, they realised that we have also got some good tactics, we fought together, so it was a good experience," said Susil Kumar, a pilot of the IAF.