There are reports that India and the United States are to carry our air exercises with frontline aircraft. Is this wise? And would this not jeopardise our national security? In any case what is there for our air force, which has always displayed the highest professionalism in peace and war, to learn from the US Air Force? We need to look at these exercises in their appropriate perspective. I would like to suggest three aspects that are relevant. Firstly, leave alone being unfriendly, our relations with the United States have been improving dramatically in recent years. While many reservations remain on both sides, and each would undoubtedly pursue its national interest, the nature of relationship has altered sufficiently for the US president to refer to it as ‘‘strategic partnership.’’ This partnership, from our perspective, cannot be directed against another third country. But the very term strategic implies that it covers a wide range of issues and areas, including defence cooperation. Deepening of defence co-operation, in fact was the rationale for the 1984 memorandum of understanding between the two countries to cover the transfer of sensitive military technologies to India, and a decade latter the Agreed Minutes laid down the mechanism for strengthening bilateral defence cooperation. Secondly, there is substantive convergence of interests between the United States and India, especially in seeking peace and stability in Asia and the contiguous oceans. Within the larger pervasive sets of measures that are needed, defence cooperation in this context plays an important role in enhancing them, while building greater confidence between the two countries. This is the reason why the Indian Navy has been carrying out exercises with the US Navy for nearly a decade; and it shares the task of ensuring stability and security of the sea-lanes in the Indian Ocean by patrolling from Malaccan Straits to the Straits of Hormuz. The armies of the two countries have been undertaking joint exercises in India as well as in the United States in different terrains and operating conditions. The IAF has already taken part in multinational exercises in the United States with transport aircraft. In fact, as the Chief of Air Staff revealed in a recent book, our Il-76 heavy transport aircraft performed the best among all the air forces participating in these highly demanding exercises. Thirdly, and perhaps most important, there is always a great deal to be learnt from such exercises, especially with professional militaries better equipped than our own. It would provide us with a better understanding of where we stand professionally against the US military. Equally important, we would naturally get first hand knowledge of the latest technology and techniques used by the most advanced air force in the world. After all, the IAF, for the first time, would be pitted against the American F-15 combat aircraft which had ‘‘beyond visual range’’ shooting capabilities with all the supporting capabilities that it implies. Practical assessment opportunities are far better source of knowledge for future modernisation decision making than relying on glossy magazines. At the same time, this would provide another opportunity to demonstrate that our professional capability is next to none. The consequent professional respect in military forces in other countries would reinforce the reputation that our own defence forces already enjoy at home and abroad. This in turn would help in providing another facet of what is otherwise seen in stereotype images. Demonstrated capabilities in international arena also become an important ingredient of conventional and strategic deterrent. We also need to remember that the fundamental difference between the joint air exercises undertaken four decades ago in India and now is that the former was done to assess our needs of air defence after the 1962 war after serious deficiencies had been found which had led to our air force not being employed in combat role since the cities were lying undefended against possible air attacks. As regards your concern about national security, there can be no doubt that prudent due precautions would be taken, by both sides.
