India,US begin joint air exercise

over 10,000 feet from a USAF aircraft they are not familiar with.

The jump is a part of Cope India-09,a five-day joint air exercise between the IAF and USAF,which got underway at the Air Force Station in Agra on Monday.

For the event,the USAF has flown in three C-130H Hercules,one C-17 Globemaster,one C-130J Super Hercules and 180 personnel. The IAF is fielding five AN-32,one IL-76,two Mi-17 1V and one Chetak helicopter with a force strength of 270 personnel.

This is the sixth exercise that the US and the Indian Air Forces have conducted since 2003. The exercise,which is being held from October 19 to October 24,is expected to be a platform for learning about each others operational aspects and validate procedures for operations towards internal security,airborne assault operations and NVG (night vision goggles) aided tactical operations in a simulated hostile scenario.

One of the major exercises includes management of mass casualties at base and medical evaluation of critical patients by air. Rapid insertion of troops and combat search and rescue are among the other major exercises that will be practised, said Capt Mammen Mathews,the IAF exercise director.

The exercise will see Indian air warriors use two of the United States finest aircraft C-130 J and the C-17 globe trotter. Of these,India has already decided to purchase the C-130 J,which is expected to be delivered in early 2011. The decision to purchase the C-17 is in the pipeline and is under consideration in the Defence Ministry.

The C-17,which was used by the USAF in Iraq and Afghanistan,is the second largest aircraft of the USAF,said Michael Pettis,a USAF mechanic. The aircraft is 174-foot-long and 169-foot-wide. It can seat abut 102 people,excluding the flight crew. It is used mainly for heavy air drops at disaster areas, Pettis said.

In addition,the IAFs Rapid Action Medical Team has procured a new tent-based mobile medical shelter from the USAF for $2 million. The Commanding Officer for the unit,A Mukherjee,said the newly purchased unit,which is completely air-conditioned,was air,water,snow and windproof.

The new unit weighs about 40 tonnes and it can move by air to the nearest airfield and set up a 25-bedded hospital under maximum eight hours. The facility will have its own power generation,oxygen plant,ICU,operation theatre,wards,water heating and distribution, Mukherjee said.