India hosting first multi-nation air combat drills
The first multi-nation air combat exercises hosted by India took off at Sulur in Tamil Nadu on 06 Aug , with dozens of combat aircraft from different parts of the world scheduling to touch down there.
The drills are considered to be the layout of a multi polar world order in which India is emerging as a major pole . This major military exercise also establishes India as the security provider for the Indian Ocean Region .
Considering the current unstable situation in the Middle East and South Asia, the large-scale exercise will help stabilize things and promote peace and stability in the regions.
According to media outlets on Wednesday, the Exercise , named Tarang Shakti, will see the participation of 10 countries with their air assets. 18 other nations are slated to take part as observers.
The first phase of the drills is to be conducted from 06 August to August 14, with Germany, France, Spain and the UK war-gaming alongside India.
The second phase scheduled to take place in Jodhpur, in northern Rajasthan state will see the participation of the US, Australia, Singapore, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates.
The goal of the drills is to develop cooperation with various nations in the Asia-Pacific region at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan and China and Philippines are at an all-time high. India is also encouraging European investments in its defence clusters and promote “make in India” collaborations.
For India, one of the purposes of the multi-national military exercises is to enhance mutual exchanges and observe Western fighters practices to further sharpen its own . India too is developing the 5th generation of stealth fighters and working on the sixth . To fill the current gap ,India may purchase a few squadrons of new fighter jets …rafales or SU57MKIs or both .
European and USA participants located far from India have still flown great distances and deployed their aircraft for joint air force exercises. India has been doing the same for Exercises in USA , Australia and Western Europe .
In all, 67 fighters and military aircraft from 10 countries and observers from another 18, are scheduled to take part in Tarang Shakti. Also, India plans to deploy 75 to 80 fighters, aircraft and helicopters of uts own for the exercise. Therefore the drills are likely to be achieving significant results.
Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, though feels paranoid . As per him the current Exercise highlighted by foreign media is simply an attempt to justify these so-called partners conducting joint military exercises to pressure China.
Yes , it is obvious that such large-scale multinational exercises have strong political and military purposes, India, as a major power in South Asia, conducting military exercises with some Western countries will definitely exert influence in the Indian Ocean Region and the Indo Pacific .
After all India is a formidable power in the Asia-Pacific region .
