Indian pilots to match skills against U.S. F-16s

Indian pilots to match skills against U.S. F-16s

Updated: 5:29 a.m. ET April 8, 2005

Indian air force (IAF) pilots will face off against U.S. airmen in F-16 fighters in mock dogfights in November, officials said on Friday, two weeks after Washington agreed to sell the jets to nuclear rivals India and Pakistan.

Washington last month lifted a ban on sales of F-16 combat jets to Pakistan -- imposed in 1990 as a sanction over its nuclear weapons programme -- to demonstrate its support for a nation that had become a major ally in the war on terrorism after Sept. 11.

India slammed the U.S. move, saying it could harm its peace talks with Pakistan, but Washington also tried to mollify New Delhi by offering to sell it the combat aircraft as well, besides the more advanced F-18 Hornet.

"The joint air exercise planned with the United States in November would provide an opportunity for us to assess the capabilities of the F-16 and its suitability to our requirements," said an Indian defence spokesman in the eastern city of Calcutta.

Four to six F-16 jets will take part in the joint exercises spread over two weeks at the key Kalaikunda airbase, about 120 km (75 miles) south of Calcutta.

While the U.S. Air Force will join the exercises -- codenamed "Cope India" -- with F-16s, India will field its Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30MKIs.

The Indian air force -- the world's fourth largest -- is looking to buy 126 sophisticated combat jets and has shortlisted the Russian MiG-29, the Swedish Gripen, the French Mirage-2000.

New Delhi has not ruled out considering the F-16s but local media reports say air force officers were not keen on the American plane as India's fleet was already highly diversified.

New Delhi has bought artillery finding radars from the United States that are being deployed on the Line of Control that divides disputed Kashmir with Pakistan, and is eyeing the Patriot missile systems as a deterrent to Pakistan with which it has fought two wars over the disputed Himalayan valley.

Relations between India and the United States during the Cold War were frosty and India has traditionally bought military hardware from Russia.

But after New Delhi was quick to support the U.S. war on terror after the Sept. 11 attacks, the world's largest democracies have forged a new relationship and expanded defence and economic ties, especially in information technology and business process outsourcing.