The Indian and French air forces are conducting an 18-day army train close to Jodhpur, together with many fight jets reminiscent of Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar and Sukhoi-30s, officers stated on Friday.
The ‘Garuda VII’ train kicked off on 26 October and can finish on 12 November.
According to officers, the French Air and Space Force (FASF) participated within the train with 4 Rafale fighter jets, one A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) plane and a bunch of 220 troopers.
According to the Indian Air Force (IAF), Sukhoi-30 MKI plane, Rafales, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Jaguar fighters, Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) and Mi-17 helicopters have been deployed within the train.
Combat-enabled property reminiscent of flight refuelling plane, AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) and AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) plane may even be a part of the IAF contingent.
“This collaborative exercise will provide a platform for both countries to improve operational capacity and interoperability, as well as share best practices, it will also foster professional engagement, sharing of experiences and advancement of operational knowledge,” the IAF stated in a press release.
The bilateral train is in its seventh 12 months. The first, third and fifth editions have been held in India in 2003, 2006, and 2014 respectively at Air Force bases Gwalior, Kalaikunda and Jodhpur.
France hosted the second, fourth and sixth tournaments in 2005, 2010 and 2019.
Military cooperation between India and France has grown considerably lately.
In March, the Indian and French navies carried out a five-day mega wargame within the Arabian Sea, comprising frontline ships, submarines, maritime patrol plane, fighter planes, and helicopters.
In April of final 12 months, the Indian and French warships additionally carried out an enormous train within the Arabian Sea.
The French Navy participated within the train with its nuclear-powered plane provider Charles de Gaulle and its complete provider strike group, indicating a rising convergence in naval hyperlinks.
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy is holding the twenty ninth Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in Visakhapatnam from 26 to 30 October.
On 25 October, two Singapore Navy ships, RSS Stalwart (a Formidable Class Frigate) and RSS Vigilance (a Victory Class Corvette) arrived at Visakhapatnam to take part within the train.
