No word yet on whether the Indian Air Force is besting USAF in this year’s Cope India exercise, as they did in 2004. USAF officials say, though, that there is a growing sense of camaraderie between the two air forces. Approximately 250 Pacific Air Forces airmen joined their Indian counterparts on Nov. 7 to begin the two-week air combat training exercise. Participants include F-16s from Misawa AB, Japan, and an E-3 Sentry from Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan, with the Indians flying several MiG models and the Su-30.
Air Mobility Command’s interim boss said the Air Force is behind on modernizing its airlift fleet, to include selecting a Next-Generation Airlifter to replace the service’s fleet of C-5 and C-17 workhorses—a project that faces stiff competition for resources in the service’s modernization portfolio.