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Indian Army paratroopers jump from a USAF C-130E over a drop zone near Air Force Station Agra, India, during Exercise COPE INDIA 2003.
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During the exercise, Indian airmen participated in fuel-testing procedures, perimeter security drills, and pavement drilling for stress testing. They also used a USAF mobile Local Area Network (LAN) system, night-vision goggles, and an all-terrain vehicle used by USAF security forces.
USAF personnel from a diverse rapid reaction unit demonstrated crisis planning and deployment. Their functional areas included air traffic management and control, logistics, fuels, medical, finance, security, civil engineering, and communications.
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Commenting on one of the USAF demonstrations, MSgt. Curtis Storms said, “We showed the Indian airmen our reach-back capability – our ability to rapidly set up communication with U.S. Pacific Air Forces, including both voice and data.” The mobile LAN in particular is an essential tool for deployed personnel and senior leaders back home.
“The LAN can feed information on what a site environment is like and its potential for the site to support further air or ground operations,” said MSgt. Storms. “That information is what the chain of command base their decisions on.”
MSgt. Robert Ermes, USAF, demonstrated GeoReach, the expeditionary arm of a computerized system, called GeoBase, that provides data on a particular base. “It gives those of us here and the chain of command a two and three dimensional picture of the deployed site and facilities,” he said. “We deploy with available imagery and then gather data called ‘features’ on multiple areas ranging from the capacity of available fuel tanks, airfield pavement thickness, navigational aids, force bed-down locations, hangar size, and more.” The information is then placed electronically into the imagery. The total package provides an overall installation picture that commanders can use for planning purposes.
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| Indian Army paratroopers onboard a USAF C-130E en route to a paratroop drop. |
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| Indian Army paratroopers jump from a USAF C-130E over a drop zone near Air Force Station Agra, India, during Exercise COPE INDIA 2003. |
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Questions from the Indian airmen focused on the capabilities of the equipment, its source and costs, and how the USAF uses the equipment in base operations. “Coming to India has been a great opportunity for the U.S. team – professionally, culturally, and personally,” said USAF 1st Lt. John Goodson. “The interaction we’ve had with the Indian airmen has been very valuable for us. I think collectively we learned much together through our discussions and demonstrations.”
In addition to demonstrations, COPE INDIA included daytime familiarization flights followed by daylight and nighttime paratroop and bundle drops. USAF observers flew with IAF forces and the IAF observers flew on U.S. aircraft. The USAF performed cargo drops and air dropped IAF paratroopers during day and night operations. IAF loadmasters demonstrated their skills on the An-32, and USAF loadmasters demonstrated their skills on the C-130s. MSgt. Thomas Varaez noted that the Indian observers on the C-130 aircraft “. . . were very knowledgeable about the instrumentation, very inquisitive and curious about how we fly.” |
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