New Delhi: In a significant development, five MiG-29 combat jets from the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been dispatched to partake in a major 21-day multinational military exercise taking place in Egypt. This event, known as the Bright-Star exercise, kicked off on Sunday and involves the participation of various armed forces, including those from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Qatar, and Egypt, apart from India.
Held every two years, Bright-Star unfolds at the Cairo (West) Air Base and marks the IAF’s inaugural involvement in such a venture. The IAF contingent includes not only the five MiG-29 aircraft but also six transport planes, along with a team of skilled Special Forces personnel from the Garud unit. Notable squadrons like Numbers 28, 77, 78, and 81 are also contributing to the exercise.
A comprehensive mix of forces has assembled for this joint endeavor, with around 150 members of the Indian Army present alongside their air force counterparts.
“The objective of the exercise is to practice the planning and execution of joint operations,” the IAF said in a statement. “Besides leading to the formation of bonding across borders, such interactions also provide a means to further strategic relations between participating nations,” it said. It said India and Egypt have had “exceptional relationship and deep cooperation wherein the two jointly undertook development of aero-engine and aircraft in 1960s and training of Egyptian pilots was done by Indian counterparts.”
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