Cope India is taking place in the face of a massive protest by communists opposed to New Delhi’s cooperation with USAF. Some 70,000 activists gathered to protest the Cope India maneuvers at the IAF’s Kalaikunda Air Base. Workers affiliated with the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) shouted slogans. Things stayed peaceful, possibly because India had deployed 800 policemen to the base.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…