Rajasthan: In the ongoing Indo-French wargames Desert Knight-21, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat will undertake a sortie in the French Rafale fighters on Thursday.
“The CDS would be briefed about the wargames and how the joint exercise would be enhancing interoperability between the air forces of the two countries,” Indian Air Force officials said.
Apart from the operational briefing, the CDS would be undertaking a sortie in the French Air Force Rafale fighter for almost one hour and would be familiarised with the most advanced fighter in the Indian and the French Air Force inventories.
The Indian Air Force kickstarted the first major international wargames involving its Rafale fighter jets in Jodhpur on Wednesday with their French counterparts.
As part of the first edition of the exercise Desert Knight-21, four French Rafale fighters landed in Jodhpur after flying directly for around four hours from the Djibouti airbase using their A-330 multirole tanker transport aircraft which also landed here.
Exercise Desert Knight-21, is being at Jodhpur Air Force Station from January 20 to January 24 this year.
The French are participating with Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft and approximately 175 personnel.
The Indian Air Force aircraft participating in the exercise include Mirage 2000, Su-30 MKI, Rafale, IL-78 Flight Refuelling Aircraft, Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) and AEW&C aircraft. (Agency)