IAF to conduct joint air exercises with Britain, Singapore

Shillong, May 19 (UNI) The Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct joint exercises with the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Singapore Air Force this year, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi today said.

'' We are planning to have a joint exercise with the RAF at Gwalior in October and another exercise with the Singapore Air Force at Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal at the yearend,'' he said during an interaction with media at the Eastern Command (EAC) Headquarters here today.

The Chief of Air Staff was here on a two-day visit to address the EAC Station Commanders' Conference, which started yesterday. He also held discussions with senior officials, including EAC's Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Air Marshal F H Major.

Terming the joint air exercises as 'political decisions', the Air Chief said that the IAF would conduct joint exercises with countries that the government chooses.

''It is up to the government to decide with which countries we would conduct exercises. We are ready to have exercises with countries like China if the government asks us to do so,'' he said.

The Air Chief said there should not be reasons to protest by any party against the proposed joint exercises as happened during the exercises with the US Air Force at Kalaikunda last year. Activists of the ruling CPI-M held protests against the exercises.

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