RAF Personnel under the command of No. 8 RAF Force Protection Wing have arrived at Hindan Air Force base in India to take part in Exercise Indradhanush.
This exercise will see the Force Protection Force (RAF Police and RAF Regiment) working alongside Garud Regiment and Indian Air Force Police and Security personnel, say the RAF in a news release.
“Ex INDRADHANUSH is part of an ongoing bi-lateral UK/Indian Air Force exercise programme which commenced in 2013 with previous iterations involving fast jet, air transport and force protection personnel both in India and the UK.”
Wing Commander Lee Wales, Officer Commanding No. 8 RAF Force Protection Wing said:
“The FP Force are looking forward to training alongside the Garud Regiment and the IAF Police and Security; the training will strengthen relationships between both forces whilst exchanging Tactics, Techniques and Procedures and demonstrate FP Armoured Vehicle capability.”
The RAFP are deploying on Exercise INDRADHANUSH to demonstrate the crucial role they play in securing and enabling the delivery of Air Power through cross-domain Protective Security and Counter Intelligence.
The RAF Regiment will demonstrate the Complex Air Ground Environment (CAGE) – the environment in and around an operational airfield and how a specialist Force Protection Force ensure the Service’s capabilities and personnel are PROTECTED whilst enabling air operations.
Sorry Tom/George, off topic.. shepherd media is reporting there may be a reduction in our F35B orders, does anyone have more info?
I can’t see that happening considering our signed and verbally signed orders. We would be letting USA down and Britain down if that happens. However a couple squadrons of F35As for the RAF would be great and cut the F35b order by 38 and give our carriers 100 F35bs to play about with.
I think this is a real possibility, unless we buy 80 or 90 F35B’s and that’s it, and put more investment in the Tempest project to bring that forward by a handful of years.. Hopefully we will find out later this year once the SDSR completed.
I cant see us ordering over 100 F35B and funding tempest. I think it will be cut to 96 maybe even 72 as part of this defense review, but its just my uneducated opinion.
I agree BB85, I think 138 F35B’s is very much a long shot with todays spending restrictions, unless they are bought over a very long period.
It’s the life of the f35 program though….
72 bought total the whole life of the program like our order of 138 is!
I will wait for more information before commenting but it does open up several ideas if it is true.
Off topic, but I’ve always wondered how the Indian gurkhas (we signed many regiments over to India after we left India) compare to their British counterparts, India does have 20x more Gurkhas though but are they to british standard?
Cam they are trained to the same standards as the Indian military is. Ours Gurkha lads are good due to the training they receive and the ethos and history they have, within the British Military. Having worked with them on a number of occasions, getting selected to join the British Army is an honour that reflects also on their family. Some say there isn’t the same ethos within the Indian Army Nepalese lads, although to give the Indian boys their due, they also have a decent history to their various Regiments, and do seem proud of that also.
Staying on topic, I wonder if the Indian airfield security wear the same lumi vests as the RAF Regiment and if their gate opening and closing tactics, training and techniques are similar? Those gates won’t open themselves!
Can anyone think of any actual BENEFIT that either party gets from this exercise? As far as I know, the UK doesn’t really have many mutually beneficial ties with India. Not like with our European or NATO Allies. So why hold such exercises? Seems like a waste of money, to me. Just thought I’d open the topic…
Mmm – ‘ the UK doesn’t really have many mutually beneficial ties with India’ did you not watch that Top Gear Episode lol ?.
No, Paul, I didn’t. I was thinking of a rather higher level than TG…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India–United_Kingdom_relations
Historical ties and friend building
Thanks, Cam
No worries crabfat
India just started making ASRAAM under licence, so plenty of benefits in keeping close. Also the shift towards forward basing come to mind, a very specific role for RAF force protection bods. Can surely expect some forward basing in the Indian ocean. I believe the RN have spoken about potentially forward basing T-31 in India.
Thanks James, that’s what I was looking for.
We could sell the the QEC designs.
China and the Indian ocean region becoming more important. China has invested heavily in East Africa (oil and gas, minerals, agriculture), and has a counter piracy naval facility in Djibouti. They are building a large naval and air base at Gwadar in Pakistan (near Karachi), and own the port at Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania). There is also talk of a Chinese naval base in Sri Lanka (the former RN base at Trinco).
Forward basing in the Indian Ocean region is a more strategic priority these days. Force protection is a key part of any forward-basing strategy, so probably explains this (and other) exercises with India, which is China’s main rival in the region.
Twenty years and China will have a truly global naval presence and given their bullying tactics using both military and economic means (loans) that is something we should be seeking to counter a long side our friends and allies.
So I’d say working with India makes a lot of sense. India have actually come to blows with China over the Himalayan boarder. The fighting occured during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis so kinda passed most people by. My limited understanding of the conflict is that China come out on top having initiated hostilities in a surprise attack.
So if China is seeking to ring the India Ocean in bases I would think India would welcome he presence of UK, US and may be French forces in the region even on a small scale.