Indian Air Force To Conduct Joint Drills With US Navy In Indian Ocean

The Indian air force and the US Ronald Reagan carrier strike group will begin a joint military exercise off the southern tip of the Indian state of Kerala state on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2021) The Indian air force and the US Ronald Reagan carrier strike group will begin a joint military exercise off the southern tip of the Indian state of Kerala state on Wednesday.

"The exercise will be carried out south of Thiruvananthapuram, on the western seaboard, over two days," the Indian defense ministry said in a statement.

India will field Jaguar attack jets, Su-30 MKI fighters, AWACS and AEW&C spy planes and a refueller aircraft. The US air fleet will be made up of field F-18 fighters and E-2C Hawkeye AEW&C aircraft.

The drills aim to improve interoperability, hone maritime search and rescue skills and allow the exchange of best practices in the maritime airpower domain, the Indian military said.