Joint Indo-US exercise in Bengal’s Panagarh Air Force Station

Panagarh: A 12-day joint exercise of the air forces of India and the US is being held at Air Force Station Arjan Singh here, an official said.

The IAF has employed three C130J and one C-17 transport aircraft, while the USAF has also brought four planes of similar configuration, he said.

A US special forces team that participated in the joint exercise from April 10, left on April 16 in one of their C103J aircraft, the official said.

The exercise started with several familiarisation sorties for the USAF air crew, which was followed by a specialised training of low cost low altitude air drop for the C130J air crew of IAF.

Combat free fall and night vision goggles assisted assault landing of the two forces were carried out at Rampurhat in neighbouring Birbhum district, the official said.

On April 17 and 18, large force engagement exercise was held at Kalaikunda Air Force Station in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district with fighter aircraft of the IAF and USAF, the official said.

A long range equipment airdrop was also carried out at a drop zone in Agra during the joint exercise, which is scheduled to conclude on April 21, he said.

This is the 20th edition of Cope India, in which the USAF and the IAF have been holding joint exercises since 2004, the official added.