The Indian Air Force (IAF) has sent 110 Air Warriors to take part in Exercise Desert Flag, which is a multilateral event. From February 27 to March 17, 2023, Desert Storm will be held at the Al Dhafra airbase in the United Arab Emirates. This is the eighth time the multilateral aerial exercise has happened every two years.
The Indian Ministry of Defense said in a press release that the IAF is taking part in the drill with five Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and two C-17 Globemaster III transport planes.
This is the first time that the LCA Tejas, which was made in India, will take part in an international flying exercise outside of the country. The air forces of France, Australia, Bahrain, Spain, Morocco, Kuwait, the UK, the US, the Republic of Korea, and the UAE will all take part in Exercise Desert Flag.
Exercise Pitch Black, Exercise Gagan Shakti, the Bahrain International Airshow, and the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition are some of the international air exercises in which the LCA Tejas has taken part (LIMA).
Significance of Exercise Desert Flag VIII for the IAF
Desert Flag is an international air exercise that has been held every year since 2009 by the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF). The goal of the exercise is to give the air forces that are taking part realistic training in air combat and to strengthen military ties between the countries that are taking part.
The exercise takes place at the UAE’s Al-Dhafra Air Base, where the F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighter squadrons are also based.
Notably, Exercise Desert Flag includes both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, as well as a variety of air combat scenarios. It is usually attended by people from all over the world.
In 2018, six Su-30MKI fighter jets and a C-17 transport plane from the Indian Air Force took part in Exercise Desert Flag for the first time. The IAF’s participation in the exercise is important because it gives IAF pilots important training opportunities and makes it easier for them to work with other air forces.
Exercise Desert Flag will also help build on the steady growth of military ties between India and the UAE in recent years. The multilateral air exercise shows that India and the UAE are becoming more and more strategic partners.
Exercise Desert Flag also gives the Indian Air Force a chance to show the rest of the world what it can do. The Indian Air Force has been modernising and improving its fleet, and taking part in exercises like these helps show other countries what it can do.
-
-
-
-
