• India
  • Jan 19

India, France to conduct Ex-Desert Knight-21

• Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace) will conduct a five-day mega air exercise — Ex-Desert Knight-21 — at Jodhpur Air Force Station from January 20.

• French side will participate with Rafale, Airbus A-330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT), A-400M Tactical Transport aircraft and approximately 175 personnel. 

• The Indian side will participate with Mirage 2000, Su-30 MKI, Rafale, IL-78 Flight Refuelling Aircraft, Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) and Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft.

Both sides to engage Rafale jets

• The exercise marks a milestone in the series of engagements between the two air forces. 

• The main highlight of the exercise is fielding of Rafale aircraft by both sides and it is indicative of the growing interaction between the two premier air forces. 

• In a boost to its strike capability, the IAF received the first batch of five Rafale jets in July last year, nearly four years after the government inked an agreement with France to procure 36 of the aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore. A second batch of three Rafale fighter jets joined the IAF in November.

• The Rafale jets, manufactured by French aerospace major Dassault Aviation, are India’s first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 years after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. 

• The two sides will put into practice operational experience gained across terrains and spectrums and endeavour to exchange ideas and best practices to enhance interoperability.

• As part of Indo-French defence cooperation, Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force have earlier held six editions of air exercises named ‘Garuda’. It was conducted last in July 2019 at Air Force Base Mont-de-Marsan, France.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store

Notes