New Delhi: India has deployed MiG-29 and Jaguar fighter jets for the multi-nation ‘Desert Flag’ exercise in the UAE, with the Indian Air Force maintaining the momentum of participating in such international air combat exercises to further hone its combat skills.
Air forces of the US, UK, Australia, Germany, France, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Turkey will also participate in the Desert Flag-10 exercise to be held at Al Dhafra Air Base from April 21 to May 8.
“The aim of the exercise is to carry out complex and diverse combat missions while exchanging operational knowledge and best practices with some of the most capable air forces in the world,” IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Jaideep Singh said.
IAF MiG-29
“Participation in such exercises enhances mutual understanding, interoperability and strengthens military cooperation among the participating countries. IAF’s participation underlines India’s commitment to strengthen defence ties and interoperability with friendly countries in the region and beyond,” he said.
The exercise comes soon after India offered the indigenous Akash air defence missile system to the UAE, while the two countries decided to enhance their bilateral defence cooperation in areas ranging from military exercises to defence-industrial cooperation at a meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on April 8.
This is in line with India’s ongoing push to export the Akash system, Pinaka multi-launch rocket system and BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to “friendly countries”, especially the Gulf and ASEAN regions.
Significantly, apart from bilateral military exercises and initiatives, India and UAE, along with France, have also worked to cooperate in a trilateral framework in several areas including defence, technology, energy and environment in 2022, in line with the ambitious roadmap they have drawn up.
In the military sphere, the three countries conducted a major aerial combat exercise ‘Desert Knight’ over the Arabian Sea in December last year to strengthen trilateral defence cooperation and enhance military interoperability amid the ongoing geopolitical churn.
The navies of the three countries also conducted their first Maritime Partnership Exercise in June 2023 to hone their warfare skills against traditional as well as non-traditional threats through a wide spectrum of operations on the high seas.