Cope India 2023 concludes with aerial manoeuvres by Indian, US fighter jets
A dazzling display of aerial manoeuvres by fighter jets of the air forces of India and the US, including Rafales, Tejas and the F-15E on Monday marked the end the 15-day Cope India joint air exercise at Kalaikunda in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district.
A total of 24 fighter aircrafts, eight transport planes and two force multipliers from both air forces participated in the event that started on April 10, IAF Group Captain Neeraj Jhamb said.
Altogether, 564 personnel from the IAF and the USAF took part in the exercise during which most days recorded maximum day temperatures of above 40 degrees Celsius at Kalaikunda and at Arjan Singh Air Force station in Panagarh, he said.
Gleaming aerial manoeuvres top-of-the-line fighter jets - Rafale, Tejas, SU-30MKI, Jaguar and F-15E - under a partly overcast sky on a much cooler Monday captivated the crowd, which included school children.
The aerial assets employed in the exercise by the IAF were fighters Rafale, Sukhoi-30 MKI, indigenous