Friday, 17 July 2015 saw the Indian Air Force arrive at RAF Coningsby, Lincs, for Exercise Indradhanush. Gordon Jones was there for GAR.
© Gordon Jones – Global Aviation Resource
Four Indian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30MKI Flankers arrived at RAF Coningsby on 17 July 2015 for Exercise Indradhanush. The bi-lateral exercise is centred on air defence and will give the RAF’s Typhoon pilots the rare chance to exercise Dissimilar Aerial Combat Tactics (DACT) against the Russian-built Sukhoi.
This will be the fourth edition of this exercise, with the first being held at RAF Leuchars in 2006, then RAF Waddington in 2007 and the third in India at IAF Kalaikunda in 2010. The first two of these saw the RAF involved with Tornado F3s, whilst 2010 was the first time the RAF Typhoon was utilised in the exercise.
The exercise has been long awaited by aviation enthusiasts in the UK, with the return of the Indian Air Force being rumoured almost every year since 2007.
The deployment was supported by Indian Air Force C-130J, C-17 and air-to-air refuelling from an Ilyushin Il-78.
The C-17 will leave the UK, but the Hercules and the Il-78 will fly local missions as part of the exercise.
We hope to bring you more coverage of this exercise in future.
