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| Common aircraft crucial |
| A MiG-23MF being ceremonially towed in front of guests at the Jamnagar air base in Gujarat
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| INDIA
, 21-March-2007
3:10:52 AM |
| A senior U.S. official has linked the efficacy of joint exercises with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to the commonality of equipment. He feels cooperation between the two air forces will deepen if both flew the same fighter aircraft — the F-16.
``We are training together, operating together and flying together. So if we have to face a common enemy we can fight together. The airplane is at the centrepiece of the relationship between the air forces and the means to achieve capability. If we fly the same plane, it becomes so much easier to develop tactics and doctrine,'' said Bruce Lemkin, Deputy Under Secretary, United States Air Force (USAF).
His remarks came during an interaction with officials here, including Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt.
Mr. Lemkin claimed that the F-16 was easy to maintain and cheap to operate. If India bought the aircraft, the USAF was prepared to share its long experience of cost-effective maintenance and operation of the aircraft.
India probing market
The U.S. official's observations come when India is examining one of the world's largest open tenders for purchasing fighter aircraft.
The F-16 is among the competitors, which include MiG-35 of Russia, the Eurofighter and Grippen of Sweden.
``Most air chiefs want the USAF tactics manual. While the U.S. is ready to part with it, the commonality of equipment is a very important factor when you talk about sharing tactical information. That is where the equipment comes in.''
``F-18 a fine aircraft''
Mr. Lemkin admitted that the Boeing manufactured F-18 (an F-16 competitor in the Indian tender) is a ``fine aircraft'' and many air forces fly it, but pointed out that it was difficult to meet the request of air chiefs for training manuals for this aircraft as it is flown entirely by the U.S. Navy and not the USAF.
``We will give the tactics manual but [it is] written for our specific aircraft [F-16],'' he said.
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