http://www.todayonline.com/articles/28359.asp
Top guns clash over India RSAF F-16s engage Indian fighters in dogfights, exercise deemed a success Clement Mesenas
Singapore's top guns have been engaging in dogfights with their Indian counterparts in the open skies over Gwalior in western India in a 15-day exercise which ends today. And they have fared well, considering that the Indian Air Force includes veterans with real battle experience.
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"It was a good exercise, which allowed our Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) pilots to interact with a well-established air force with highly-professional operators," said a Ministry of Defence (Mindef) spokesman.
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Key to the exercise were two factors: One, it provided the RSAF access to new air training space and two, to engage for the first time, with Russian-made aircraft using different weapon platforms.
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Six F-16 Fighting Falcon jets from the RSAF, led by Detachment Commander Lt Col Anil Sanker, 39, engaged in aerial combat with aircraft deployed by the Indian Air Force, which included the top-of-the-line Sukhoi-30, MiG-27, and MiG-29 and the Mirage 2000.
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The MiGs and the F-16s are comparable in terms of manoeuvrability, sophistication of avionics and weapons systems, say analysts.
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Both Singapore and Indian pilots tested their skills in one-on-one dogfights, which escalated to two-on-two clashes and eventually involved up to as many as 10 aircraft.
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Considering that the Indians, in their Sukhoi-30s, triumphed over a visiting American team in their F-15 Eagles in exercises earlier this year at Gwalior, how did the RSAF pilots, who have fared well in international competitions, do?
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A Times of India news report, quoting IAF sources, said the Indian pilots proved more than a match for their visitors.
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Responding, a Mindef spokesman said: "We can understand why the Indian media would come out with a sensational story like this.
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"We are very pleased with the exercise and the performance of the RSAF's pilots and aircraft. The Indian Air Force has been an excellent host, and as their guest, it would not be courteous for us to comment on the specific outcomes of the exercise."
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The RSAF was, however, keener to elaborate on the knowledge it had gained from the exercise, a first between the two countries.
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Chief of Air Force Maj-Gen Lim Kim Choon, who watched the exercise at Gwalior yesterday, said: "The exercise has enabled us to train with a well-established air force. We are learning much from our interactions with the IAF's excellent aviators."
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In fact, the RSAF top brass is very pleased as the F-16 detachment had earlier taken part in an exercise in Dijon, France.
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With two KC-135 tankers and one C-130 transport aircraft in support, the detachment undertook the journey from France to India, a deployment that required complex planning and extensive logistical preparation, Mindef said.
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Air Commodore S P Rajguna (Air Officer Commanding Air Force Station Gwalior) described the exercise as mutually beneficial and said it provided invaluable learning experiences to the participants.
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Both Air Commodore Rajguna and Maj-Gen Lim spoke of better interaction and co-operation in future exercises.
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With Singapore and India having a 10-year relationship in joint naval exercises, more bilateral air training exercises appear to be a distinct possibility on top of the current training detachments the RSAF has for its F-16 aircraft in the United States, France and Australia.
pilot doing with an RSAF pilot at Gwalior ?
