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The Union government has now given the go-ahead to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to carry out joint exercises with China, IAF official sources confirmed on Friday. As a goodwill gesture first, the IAF will send its elite aerobatics team, Surya Kiran, to China later this year to perform over a couple of cities, including Beijing. India and China have already held joint Army exercises in December last year in China.
"The Surya Kiran team will perform in China, probably sometime around October or November. This will be a goodwill trip. Any IAF exercise with China is likely to take place only after that," IAF sources told this newspaper. The Surya Kiran team, comprising 11 aircraft and pilots in all, is the daredevil aerobatics team of the IAF which has performed in several countries around the world and amazed audiences with its skill.
The nod from the government is an indication of the fact that ties with China are on course despite the ongoing protests by Tibetans in India ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
Discussions are also expected in New Delhi soon between India and China to discuss the modalities and venue for the Sino-Indian joint Army exercises to be held in India later this year. During his visit to the border post of Longewala in February, defence minister A.K. Antony had stated that the next Sino-Indian joint Army exercises would be held in India. This would be the second such joint Army exercise between the two countries. The first Sino-Indian joint Army exercise was held in China in December last year near the city of Kunming.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between India and China in May 2006 during a visit by the then defence minister (and current external affairs minister) Pranab Mukherjee to China that stipulated that the two countries would hold joint military exercises, join forces in counter-terrorism and anti-piracy efforts and also cooperate in search and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, the IAF is also eagerly looking forward to the responses by vendors to the RFP for acquisition of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft.
The IAF has constantly expressed concern over the declining number of its fighter squadrons and has emphasised the need for more fighter aircraft to bolster the number of its fighter squadrons.
Home | India Defence
"The Surya Kiran team will perform in China, probably sometime around October or November. This will be a goodwill trip. Any IAF exercise with China is likely to take place only after that," IAF sources told this newspaper. The Surya Kiran team, comprising 11 aircraft and pilots in all, is the daredevil aerobatics team of the IAF which has performed in several countries around the world and amazed audiences with its skill.
The nod from the government is an indication of the fact that ties with China are on course despite the ongoing protests by Tibetans in India ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
Discussions are also expected in New Delhi soon between India and China to discuss the modalities and venue for the Sino-Indian joint Army exercises to be held in India later this year. During his visit to the border post of Longewala in February, defence minister A.K. Antony had stated that the next Sino-Indian joint Army exercises would be held in India. This would be the second such joint Army exercise between the two countries. The first Sino-Indian joint Army exercise was held in China in December last year near the city of Kunming.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between India and China in May 2006 during a visit by the then defence minister (and current external affairs minister) Pranab Mukherjee to China that stipulated that the two countries would hold joint military exercises, join forces in counter-terrorism and anti-piracy efforts and also cooperate in search and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, the IAF is also eagerly looking forward to the responses by vendors to the RFP for acquisition of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft.
The IAF has constantly expressed concern over the declining number of its fighter squadrons and has emphasised the need for more fighter aircraft to bolster the number of its fighter squadrons.
Home | India Defence
