IAF pilots to fly in British skies during joint air exercise

Ahmedabad, June 22 (UNI) A 200-member Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent will proceed to the Royal Air Force (RAF) airbase in United Kingdom on June 24 to participate in the joint air exercise 'Indradhanush-07', to be held there from July two to 12.

IAF sources here said the continuing with the ongoing saga of defence cooperation with United Kingdom and following the success of the first-ever Indo-UK joint air exercise held last year at Gwalior, the 200-member team will participate in the next sequel of the exercise at Waddington, UK.

The exercise is aimed at fostering closer defence cooperation ties with UK as a process emerging out of the series of the Indo-UK defence consultative Group meetings that began in 1995.

Fighters such as SU-30 MKIs, Typhoons, Tornadoes and Hawk will participate in the exercise. Besides, IAF IL-78 mid-air refuellers and British AWACS will also take part. En route the fighters will stop at Doha (Qatar) and Tanagra (Greece) before reaching UK on June 28, sources said.

Group captain Girish Saini is leading the IAF contingent as the exercise Director, while Wing Commander A C Chopra is the deputy leader. Wing Commander A K Bharti leads the pack of 20 fighter pilots and two navigators.

The other members in the contingent include air traffic and fighter controllers, engineers, medical officer, logistics officer, observers and also officers from the Tactical Air Combat Development Establishment of the IAF.

Preceding the exercise, IAF SU-30 MKIs and the IL-78 refueller aircraft will also participate at the Waddington Air Show, which is slated from June 30 to July 1. After the cessation of the exercise at Waddington, two Su-30 MKIs and the IL-78 refueller aircraft will proceed to join the Royal Air Tattoo, which is planned at the RAF airbase Fair Fort from July 16 to 18, sources added.

UNI