India's air force will take part, for the first time, in military exercises with Nato countries in July in Alaska, a newspaper report said on Sunday.
This will be the first time that Indian Air Force (IAF) will team up in manoeuvres with British, German and Turkish forces, The Statesman newspaper said.
The report came as the Indian and US air forces held their first ever aerial combat games in the skies over the central Indian city of Gwalior.
Military relations between India and western powers have warmed since the end of the Cold War during which New Delhi had tilted towards Moscow.
The IAF's British-made long-range fighter-bomber, the Jaguar, Russian IL-76 transport aircraft and the newly acquired IL-78 air-to-air refuelling aircraft from Ukraine would take part in the Alaska exercises, the report said.
Indian pilots are expected to participate in dummy bombing missions while other IAF personnel would take part in air defence and electronic jamming drills.
The 10-day exercise by the Indian and US air forces that began last week over central India was the latest sign of the strengthening military ties between the two sides.
The exercises were intended to facilitate future joint peacekeeping operations, not for any Indian combat role alongside US forces, IAF officials have been quoted as saying.
Comments
Comments are closed.