RAF Coningsby hosts Indian Air Force for training scenarios
A series of complex training scenarios are being hosted at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire as the base welcomes aircrew, engineers and aircraft from the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Exercise Indradanush is a two week exercise with increasingly complex training sorties, starting from one on one 'dogfights' to sorties involving 20 fighters.
The IAF have been flying their Sukhoi SU30 Flanker aircraft in major airpower training sessions.
Photo: RAF Coningsby
IAF crews are training with the Typhoon FGR4 equipped 3(Fighter) Squadron. Officer Commanding 3(F) Sqn is Wing Commander Chris Moon. He said: "This is an exciting exercise for us.
"In the Typhoon Force we deploy around the world on various exercises so to have an Air Force as respected as the IAF with their Su-30 Flankers is a huge experience for us and we're really enjoying flying with them.
"It's only through doing different things that we really learn. We're working together on the ground, we're planning and briefing together, flying together in the air and then debriefing and we're learning a lot from each other."
For the exercise, the IAF has flown Russian-built Flanker jet fighters, along with transport and tanker aircraft, across three continents to train with their RAF counterparts.
The visiting IAF personnel are commanded by Group Captain Astiu. He said: "Every Air Force has got some plusses and some minuses. We are here to take plusses from the Royal Air Force and we expect they will take a lot of plusses from our side.
"We are complimenting each other and as far as the Indian contingent is concerned it is action packed and we are enjoying it."
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