Jamnagar, Oct 22 (ANI): The four-day joint exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) concluded here on Friday.
The exercise, named "Ex Eastern Bridge - 2011" marks the second of the series, the first, held in October 2009 at RAFO base Thumrait, Oman, wherein six IAF Jaguars had operated alongside RAFO Jaguars and F-16s.It is for the first time that the RAFO Jaguars have participated in a joint exercise held in India.
The RAFO contingent comprised of six Jaguar aircraft and 115 personnelhile from the IAF's side, Jaguars and MiG 29s based at Jamnagar participated in the exercise.
RAFO Jaguars had ferried in directly from Thumrait and landed at Jamnagar. Two years back when the IAF contingent visited Oman, their Omani counterparts had expressed keen interest and desire to fly over Indian terrain, which has a vast variation quite unlike the Omani flatbed desert.
After having flown from Air Force Station Jamnagar, they would understand the challenges the IAF routinely encounters flying over the varying Indian landscape with deserts to the North and dense vegetation and hills towards South Gujarat.
The exercise gave vast exposure to the aircrew of RAFO and IAF, towards missions involving long duration sorties with in-flight refuelling, large force strike packages, air-to-ground bombing and maritime strike roles routinely performed by the IAF both independently and in mixed operations.
The exercise provided an opportunity of rich interaction between the personnel of both countries. Veterans of Ex- Eastern Bridge-I in 2009 also got a chance to meet old friends from RAFO. This has strengthened the bond between the Air Forces, the IAF and RAFO. (ANI)
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