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 rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
