IAF warriors return from Red Flag Nellis, conduct joint exercise with UAE Air Force on return leg

IAF Press Release: At Red Flag 08, IAF pilots flew Offensive Air Operations, Large Force Engagements and Dynamic Targeting missions and the IAF Special Force ‘GARUDS’ practiced hostage rescue operations in urban warfare scenarios.

The IAF contingent was deployed at Nellis Air Force Base for the main exercise alongside South Korean Air Force flying the F-15K aircraft and the French Air Force with their latest Rafale aircraft, apart from the USAF F-15 and F-16s. The exercise replicated a present day air campaign. IAF and other visiting air forces alongwith a large US Air Force element were part of the friendly ‘Blue Forces’ that engaged in combat with the aggressors – the ‘Red Forces’. The Red Forces comprised F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. Surface to Air Missiles (SAMs) such as SA2, SA3, SA6 and SA8 alongwith long and short range quick reaction missiles were always present to neutralize the friendly Blue forces during the Exercise.

Blue Force pilots had all possible odds thrown at them. Availability of a large air-to-air range with threat replication in an intense Electronic Warfare environment contributed to tremendous training value of the exercise. The replication of the air war saw the IAF’s Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft participating in Suppression of Enemy Air Defence, air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The pilots were exposed to a real war like scenario with almost 80 aircraft operating in the exercise area at any given time. The experience of engaging in completely networked combat with such a large number of aircraft in the airspace was of immense training value especially when the IAF is in the process of acquiring AWACS and networking its assets with real time data links. The IAF performed exceptionally well and the skills of the pilots and ground crew were appreciated by members of all other participating forces.

Thus, it was a fruitful learning experience with far reaching benefits all around. The IL-78 tankers were in active support role refuelling the Su-30MKIs in mid air. The IL-76 aircraft undertook tactical transport operations and large force engagement operations. IAF’s special force commandos ‘Garuds’ were also put to test in simulated conditions and they successfully demonstrated their mission capability by neutralizing an enemy radar site, capturing an airfield and carrying out combat search and rescue operations.

On the return, the contingent also made a week long stop over at Al-Dafra, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and participated in an air exercise with Mirage-2000-9 and F-16 aircrafts of UAE Air Force and Air Defence. The contingent landed back at Lohegaon Air Base on 13 Sep 08.

14 thoughts on “IAF warriors return from Red Flag Nellis, conduct joint exercise with UAE Air Force on return leg”

  1. Fighterclass, where are you brother? Thanks for saving the maid’s honour that day. Only a real man like you could have done it. And only a real man like you can take on the frauds who come here including the blog owner himself.

  2. IF 50 MIRAGE 2000 UPGRADE DEAL COSTS EURO 1.5 BILLION =$ 2 BILLION
    (NOT SURE THERE IS ENGINE CHANGE)

    JUST THINK HOW MUCH 126 RAFALE UPGRADE WILL COST US IT WILL EAT US OUT

    WONDER MIG29 UPGRADE
    COST ONLY $ 1 BILLION AND
    WE HAVE MORE MIGS THAN MIRAGES.

  3. why SU 35BM IS BETTER THAN ANY OTHER CONTENDER AND WHY SHOULD WE CONSIDER
    THIS PLANE IN MRCA

    BIGGEST FACTOR COST .

    SU35 =$67 MILLION
    RAFALE $67 MILLION
    TYPHOON 100 MILLION

    AND NOW WHY SU 35 IS SUPERIOR TO TYPHOON

    THRUST(LBS) SU35 TYPHOON
    (DRY) 38800 27000
    (WET) 64000 40000

    (EXT LOAD)
    (TONS) 8 TONS 6.5 TONS

    (INT.FUEL) 11.5 TONS 5 TONS

    IRST OLS35 PIRATE
    RANGE) 90KM NOT KNOWN

    ECM DRFM DASS
    {WE NEED
    THESE
    BADLY}

    RADAR IRBIS E OUTCLASSES AMSAR
    APG79
    RBE2 AESA

    FOLLOW ON ZHUK ASE AESA WITH
    1662 T/R MODULES

    AIR TO AIR CONFIGURATIO

    SU35 10BVR+2WBR(NONEED OF EXT TANK)
    TYHPOON 6BVR+2WBR(EXT TANK)
    F18 6BVR+2WBR(EXT TANK)

    SU 35BM OUTCLASSES TYHPOON AND OTHER CONTENDERS IN ALL PARAMETERS INCLUDING RADAR RANGE .

    AND SEMI STEALTH OF RAFALE TYPHOON
    HAS BEEN NULLIFIED BY IRBIS E RADAR

    WHY TYPHOON IS 33 MILLION COSTLY
    THAN SU 35BM OR THIS MONEY IS JUST FOR AIRFRAME AND ENGINES .

    AND EVEN FOR THE MAIN ELECRONICS
    AMSAR DOES NOT MATCH IRBIS E RANGE

  4. FORGIVE ME IF I AM WRONG BUT TAKE A LOOK

    US FIGHTER AIRCRAFT AREN’T THAT CHEAP THEY ARE SELLING US FOR THE FIRST TIME THATS WHY THEY HAVE REDUCED THE PRICE

    OTHERWISE

    WE BOUGHT 40 SU30MKI FOR $ 2.2 BILLION

    SO EACH COSTS = 55 MILLION

    UAE BOUGHT F16 BLK60
    EACH COSTS = 80 MILLION

    S KOREA BOUGHT F15
    NO AESA EACH COSTS=OVER 100 MILLION

    AUSTRALIA BOUGHT
    24 F 18SH FOR
    $ 2.8 BILLION
    EACH COSTS =116.67 MILLION

    MOROCCO BOUGHT 24 F16=$2.4 BILLION
    WHICH COSTED THEM
    AS MUCH AS RAFALE
    NO AESA.

    JAPAN F 2 IS
    A DISASTER
    EACH COSTS = OVER 100 MILLION

    WORST IS THAT NONE OF US ALLIES
    WILL GET TOT FOR F 35 EXCEPT
    FOR UK AND EACH WILL COSTS OVER
    100 MILLION.

    US NOT ALLOWING TOT OF F 35
    LET ALONE F22 SALE

    THIS IS HOW US SUCKS ITS ALLIES
    AND THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BUY FROM OTHER WENDORS EXCEPT US NOT EVEN EUROPE . ISRAEL IS ALLOWED TO SELL WHEN US ALLOWS .

  5. This is a historic achievement for IAF. I’m sure they have learnt lots of lessons on tactics, EW and network centric warfare even though they had to fight with their hands tied regarding the limited capabilities of Su-30 that they were allowed to exploit. After successfully conducting an exercise of such gigantic logistical proportions we have given out a message to some of our potential adversaries that we can take the fight to your soil if need be. IAF has truly come of age.Now if we could only build on the numbers….

  6. how about catching these terrorists
    planting bombs after bombs and going scotfree! Any idea how to neutralize ISI + D company boss.
    Its high time govt issue a fatwa to the all muslim leaders and educate them to not to shelter terror operatives from pukistan and bangladesh!In hyderabad my fellow muslim brothers, each has six to seven mouths to feed. most of them eihter autowallahs or motor mechanics! do they think pakistan can come up to hyderabd and liberate! fake currency circulation and an economically weak india can feed all these hungry mouths!With out the support of peoeple with in india ISI can not carryout any of its operations sucessfully! plug these holes! Aroor saab! its too horrible to witness such dastardly acts happeining in our country,month after month with the precision of a washing m/c timer!
    For every blast in india there should be nine blasts in our enemy country! is it not possible to detect chemicals thro’ remote sensing satellite images? by scanning crowded market areas,places for presence of emissions from RDX,ammonium notrate etc… may be it can do only after the blast has taken place!

  7. What can Shiv do here? Do you guys really think he actually owns a “Livefist”? 😉

    About those people asking for the Su-35 BMs in the MRCA competition. The basic deifinition of an MRCA disqualifies the Su-35!

    Their initial costs might be lesser than some of the MRCA, but the operational/maintenance costs are much more.

    Please proceed to the bharat rakshak site for deeper insights. These issues have already been answered by much more qualified people.

  8. By the way, do you have an idea as to what kind of role the Sukhois played in their exercise with the Saudis?

    And how did it fare against the Mirages?

  9. By the way, do you have an idea as to what kind of role the Sukhois played in their exercise with the Saudis?

    And how did it fare against the Mirages?

  10. get your facts right, there was no exercise with the saudis.
    it was with the UAE. and given the level of their training, IAF su’s were probably limited to flying with them as a friendly gesture.

  11. I saw yesterday shiv aroor on headlines today covering delhi blasts. So basically apart from defence matters, he covers other issues too. some time back he presented a docu on D-company and Bollywood nexus. So he can aswell make a documentary, how our indian muslim brothers can play a major role in isolating the terrorists with in our country and from paki and BD. The day these terroists can not find shelter in mosques and madrassas and jungles of kerala,karnataka and other parts of AP,chennai,UP,GUjarat and finally mumbai, the govt will win half the battle!

  12. http://www.ausairpower.net/jsf.html

    guys go this link and find out what the F-35 is all about.
    It is a LEMON.
    The RAAF is unimpressed and feels the presence of Ssu-30 based aircraft around them will annihilate their F-35 fleet in combat.
    What surprises me is as to how many of you computer jockeys know so little about modern combat aircraft.
    So sit on your hands, read , assimilate and THEN type

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