Indradhanush 2007 - An Exercise of Mammoth Proportions

New Delhi, July 27 (UNI) The recently concluded bilateral Indo-UK air exercise 'Indradhanush 2007' involved primarily flying activities. On terra firma, however, a great deal involved meticulous logistics and phenomenal administrative, technically flawless and sound operational planning.

At the forefront of such planning were IAF officers at the Air Head Quarters in New Delhi, the Gandhinagar-baased South Western Air Command (SWAC) HQ, the Central Air Command (CAC) HQ in Allahabad, and at the Air Force Bases at Pune and Agra for over six months.

''Bringing it to fruition was a challenge,'' says Wing Commander AC Chopra of the elaborate exercise planning. The Deputy Team Leader -- together with the Logistics Officer Wing Comander Manish Dialani and other officers from the operational and maintenance side -- had made visits earlier to the UK for coordinating the requirements during the conduct of 'Indradhanush 2007' over the skies of RAF Waddington earlier this month.

''The challenge has just begun,'' maintains Wing Commander Dialani, however, of the vast logistical issues that would need winding-up after thorough scrutiny when the team members leave at the conclusion of this first exercise by the IAF Air Warriors in UK.

The logistics team members were among the core group who arrived in the UK ahead of the IAF team and would be among the last to leave.

''It is good to have a logistics officer accompanying the team'', echoed most IAF members as the nitty-gritty of accommodation, transportation and food had been well taken care of.

Wing Commander Chopra -- 'Choppy' to mates on either side and who had a year's stint earlier at UK during his Staff course in 2003 -- was on familiar ground and that helped matters in administrative tie-ups locally.

''My airmen leave very early in the morning everyday to get the fighters ready in time for the day's exercise. Their requirements of breakfast and vehicles are timely met and the going has been smooth,'' said Squadron Leader SBH Reddy, Senior Technical Officer (STO) of the Pune-based 'Rhinos' squadron of SU-30 MKIs which took part in the exercise.

Sq Ldr Reddy was at the helm-of-affairs of the technical maintenance of the IAF's Sukhoi-30 jet fighterswhich took part in the exercise -- and together with his motivated technicians aimed at a '100-per cent serviceability' of all the jets during the almost a month-long overseas deployment.

During the exercise-period, the visiting IAF personnel were put up barely 3 miles north of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Base, Waddington, within the precincts of the University of Lincoln.

Normally bustling with student activities -- averaging nearly 17,500 students, the campus was transformed into a military bastion housing the combined strength of Ex-Indradhanush airmen from the two elite Air Forces of the world -- the IAF and RAF.

''It was possible to accommodate the members from both the Air Forces as the students were on vacation,'' informed the management at the University.

The University housed 150 members from the IAF and 75 from RAF's No 25 Squadron. The visitors couldn't have asked for a better location -- just walking distance from the city centre and the centuries-old Lincoln Cathedral and the Lincoln Castle, the University formed an ideal retreat.

Sickness, another of the worries, was mostly kept at bay.

''Primarily, there were only a few cases of loose motions, upper respiratory infections - bronchitis because of the weather,'' informs Wing Commander D Chakraborty, the Aviation Medicine specialist accompanying the team who had set-up a small 'Medical Centre' within the 'Daily Servicing Section' for the ease of his patients.

The IAF members arrived at Waddington in the thick of British rainy season after experiencing a simmering hot spell at Doha and Tanagra -- and that led to respiratory problems for a few.

More UNI