It’s been barely 4 months of the new year – and one thing that has stood out for the Indian Air Force is the sheer number of exercises it has participated in these weeks.
VEER GUARDIAN 2023 (Jan 12 – 26)
The first of these was in January when an IAF contingent of fast jets arrived in Japan for the maiden IAF JASDF Fighter Exercise. The exercise was the first time Russian origin fighters were in Japan for exercises and marked a new chapter in Indo-Japan security relationship.
Japan, is of course, a major strategic partner of India, and alongside the US and Australia is a fellow of the QUAD partnership.
The IAF contingent consisted of 4 Su30MKIs, 2 C17 Globemaster strategic air lifters, and one IL78MKI air to air refueler. The JASDF was represented by 4 Mitsubishi F2s (a advanced derivative of the legendary F16 Fighting Falcon) and 4 F15J Eagles.
Indo Japanese Military Cooperation has a long and storied history, and the Veer Guardian 2023 came on the heels of JIMEX naval exercise in September, 2022 and then combined QUAD naval exercise Malabar in November, 2022.
It goes without saying that increased Chinese belligerence and shared concerns have been a primary driver of the increasing security cooperation between the QUAD partners.
JASDF would be happy for the Su30MKI’s presence, given the fact that the Chinese PLAAF operates multiple variants and copies of the Sukhoi Su27 family.
IAF’s Sukhois are formidable aircraft and have been known to perform extraordinarily well in air exercises and combat situations, and have been increasingly tasked with maritime strike into the Indian Ocean Region, armed with the Brahmos A supersonic cruise missile.
The Japanese units involved specialize in both maritime strike roles and air defence roles, and it is an obvious area of cooperation and learning for both forces.
Cobra Warrior 23
Exercise Cobra Warrior takes place twice a year and is the largest air exercise run by the Royal Air Force. It is designed to train participants in high intensity, large force, tactical air warfighting operations and is being directed by staff at RAF Waddington. This year’s edition was held from March 2 – 24, and saw the IAF dispatch 5 Mirage 2000I upgraded fighters, alongside an IL78MKI air to air refueller.
Cobra Warrior 2023 is significant because it’s a far more intense exercise than the regular RAF IAF bilateral exercises, and saw participation of 70 aircraft, belonging to the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Finland and Belgium.
This marked the first occasion the IAF flew alongside its counterparts from Belgium and Finland.
Official NATO statements regarding the exercises stated, “Over three weeks exercise participants will bring together their capabilities and deliver the full spectrum of Air Operations, including Defensive and Offensive Counter-Air as well as Strike Operations. These will include RAF Regiment Precision Strike Teams, Air Manoeuvre operations to support ground forces, and also further developing a Joint Personnel Recovery Capability.”
The Cobra Warrior 2023 marked an increasing engagement of Indian military units with NATO as a whole, rather than bilateral engagements as was the norm before.
Desert Flag VIII
Exercise Desert Flag was held in the UK from February 27 to March 17 and saw participation of the air forces from UAE, France, Kuwait, Australia, the UK, Bahrain, Morocco, Spain, Republic of Korea, and the US.
The exercise was significant because it was the first time the IAF sent the Tejas to an international exercise.
Details are scarce but by all accounts, the Tejas performed superbly in a tough training environment.
CoPe India 23
The COPE or Cooperative Exercises are a series of already legendary joint training exercises held between Indian and US air forces. The series became infamous for a series of bruising encounters between the IAF’s TACDE (Tactics and Air Combat Establishment) top guns and USAF pilots in the F15, in early 2004, 2005. The IAF had made a big name for itself in those exercises, chalking up by some accounts a 9:1 kill ratio.
Those exercises were pivotal to USAF thinking in the early 2000s, and in many ways forced the US administration to modernize and bring all their combat aircraft to AESA radar specifications.
The exercises were suspended for quite some time and only now have resumed, with this year being held from April 10th to ing encounters between the IAF’s TACDE (Tactics and Air Combat Establishment) top guns and USAF pilots in the F15, in early 2004, 2005. The IAF had made a big name for itself in those exercises, chalking up by some accounts a 9:1 kill ratio.
Those exercises were pivotal to USAF thinking in the early 2000s, and in many ways forced the US administration to modernize and bring all their combat aircraft to AESA radar specifications.
The exercises were suspended for quite some time and only now have resumed, with this year being held from April 10th to April 21st.
Japan is participating as an observer this time around and the exercise is being held in phases.
First phase of the air exercise involved C130J Super Hercules and C17s of both air forces, and SF units – and the practice air mobility and spec ops behind enemy lines.
Second phase involves the entire gamut of modern day air combat, from A2A, to anti air defence, to strike missions. Aircraft involved are rumoured to be Su30MKI, Tejas and Rafale from the IAF and F15s from the USAF, with uncomfirmed reports of B1B Lancer bombers as well.
Additional support aircraft such as Netra AEW&C airborne radars, A2A refuellers can be expected as well. The exercise is being hosted at Air Force Stations Arjan Singh (Panagarh), Kalaikunda and Agra.
Exercise, exercise, exercise?
The IAF’s many exercises are just part of a reinvorgated military diplomacy by the Indian government. These exercises serve many purposes:
1. Training. Every professional military has developed its own doctrines, tactics and skillsets as befitting their own unique situation; its of great value to study the practices of friendly foreign militaries, to understand their requirements and their solutions to the same.
Further, large multination exercises present a degree of complexity and challenge that cannot be eclipsed, except by war.
2. The IAF is showing its reach. The Ability to dispatch aircraft and crew and supporting assets to regions as far apart as the UK, the Japan, and UAE, while maintaining complete dominance of Indian airspace is quite telling.
3. Showing the flag. IAF’s presence and reach is part and parcel of improving relations with friendly nations, of improving interoperability for unforeseen circumstances
4. Geostrategic messaging. Increasing Japanese participation in Indian exercises, and the assets present in these exercises are clear indications and shows of force to the People’s Republic of China, from the QUAD nations.
The latest COPE exercises are being conducted from two key airfields that will play a decisive role in any India-China conflict: Panagarh and Kalaikunda.
We’ll keep you updated as the exercises progress, and there’s further news of IAF units flying to Greece to join NATO air forces in yet another Exercise!