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.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.