In the first overseas exercise for the Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF), four Rafales will depart to France on Friday to take part in multilateral exercise Orion at Mont-de-Marsan, an Air Force base of the French Air and Space Force (FASF).
The exercise will be conducted from April 17 to May 5, with the IAF contingent comprising four Rafale, two C-17, two ll-78 aircraft and 165 personnel, the IAF said in a statement. “Participation in this exercise would further enrich the employment philosophy of the IAF, by imbibing the best practices from other Air Forces.”
Ex Orion is one the largest exercises held by France in recent times involving around 12,000 troops, including those from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and being held in four phases.
Besides the IAF and the FASF, Air Forces from Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, U.K. and U.S. would also be flying in this multilateral exercise.
