The first article we’ve seen that speculates on the victor of Cope India 2006 admittedly resorted to Web site blogs to find a prevailing view that the Indian Air Force Su-30s bested USAF F-16s. The report is found in the conservative-minded Christian Science Monitor. Is this a repeat of the last Cope India, in which officials acknowledged that USAF F-15s fell to IAF SU-30s and MiG-21s? As CSM notes, there is no official word yet, from either USAF or IAF officials. There also may be no clear-cut winner because the exercise featured mixed teams of Americans and Indians on the same sides.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.