Indo-Oman Air Exercise Eastern Bridge-II Concludes

Photo / DPR Defence

October 22, 2011 by Shiv Aroor LIVEFIST

The photo shows a formation of an IAF MiG-29 and a mix of IAF and Royal Oman Air Force Jaguars at the close of Exercise Eastern Bridge II. The four day joint exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) concluded on October 21 at Air Force Station Jamnagar (Gujarat).

The exercise was the second in the series, the first held in Oct 2009 at RAFO base Thumrait, Oman, where six IAF Jaguars had operated alongside RAFO Jaguars and F-16s. It is for the first time that RAFO Jaguars have participated in a joint exercise in India. The RAFO contingent comprised six Jaguars and 115 personnel while the IAF's fielded Jaguars and MiG-29s based at Jamnagar. RAFO Jaguars had ferried in directly from Thumrait and landed at Jamnagar.

Two years ago when the IAF contingent visited Oman, their Omani counterparts had said they wanted to fly over Indian terrain which has vast variety quite unlike flatbed desert typical of much of Oman. They would encounter deserts to the North and dense vegetation and hills towards South Gujrat. After the familiarization of RAFO contingent with local flying operational procedures at the base, the exercise commenced on 17 Oct 2011. The four day long exercise involved a variety of flying missions from each other's best practices in terms of operational, maintenance and administrative procedures.

The exercise gave vast exposure to the aircrew of RAFO and IAF, towards missions involving long duration sorties with in-flight refuelling, large force strike packages, air-to-ground bombing and maritime strike roles routinely performed by the IAF both independently and in mixed operations.