Cope India 04 Gains Flight
In their biggest-ever
fighter maneuvers, India and United States on Monday commenced a
ten-day joint air exercises over the North Indian territory of
Gwalior, pitting the Indian Air Force (IAF) against one of the most
hi-tech forces in the world.
In the combat exercises code-named Cope India 04, the Pacific
Command of the US Air Force (USAF) will pit its F-15C air
superiority fighters against the Indian Air Forces Mig-21, Mig 29
and Sukhoi-30 fighters as well as a Gwalior-based Mirage 2000
fighter in simulated Beyond Visual Range Combat, high value asset
protection and a number of the low and high altitude combat
missions. Dissimilar AIR COMBAT TRAINING, otherwise known as DACT,
is simulated combat flying between two different types of
aircraft.
In order to make this first bilateral dissimilar air combat
exercise between the USAF and the IAF in more than 40 years a large
scale event, approximately 150 airmen from Elmendorf Air Force Base
(AK)were flown in for the exercise. Elmendorf is providing
aircrews, maintainers, communications, security and logistical
support for the exercise. A tanker/airlift control element team
from Travis AFB (CA), is also here supporting the exercise. As
host, the IAF is providing facilities, fuel, airspace and security,
plus numerous professional exchange opportunities.
Senior Airman Joel
Mejia, TALCE aerial port journeyman, says his first trip to India
has already been exciting and educational.
“I love the warm weather here and the people are so
friendly,” he said. “The food is spicy, but it’s
just right for me. I love it.”
According to Senior Airman Mejia, the chance to meet and work
with people from a different culture has been the most valuable
portion of the deployment.
“While working with the Indian air force, I found that
even though we are from different parts of the world, we are all
the same,” he said.
"Cope India 04 will afford each air force the opportunity to
enhance and mature operational understanding and set the basis for
future cooperation," said Col. Greg Neubeck, 3rd Operations Group
deputy commander and U.S. deployed forces commander. "The exercise
is a tremendous training opportunity. The more we understand each
other’s methods the better we’ll be prepared to operate
in any future joint operation. We are already far along in
cultivating common bonds and fostering goodwill between our two air
forces. The (Indian air force) is a gracious host and their
hospitality has been overwhelming."
The station, located approximately 10 miles from the city of
Gwalior in North Central India, is one of the oldest Indian air
force bases in South Asia. The air force station is the center hub
of operational training, testing and national-level exercises and
includes the only Indian air force electronic warfare range, used
to aid new pilots in aircraft familiarization.