Isle forces to participate
in U.S.-Indian air
defense exercises

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Associated Press

NEW DELHI, India >> Air force personnel from India and the United States have begun their biggest-ever joint air defense exercises as part of a growing military cooperation between the two countries, the U.S. Air Force said.

The exercises, called "Cope India," involve paratroopers and various aircraft from both countries and are being held at the Agra air force base, 95 miles southeast of New Delhi, India's capital, the U.S. Air Force said Monday night.

Approximately 150 U.S. personnel from the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan; the Hawaii Air National Guard unit; and the Andersen air force base in Guam are participating in the exercises.

The first air defense exercises between the United States and India were held in eastern India in 1962 after a border war between India and China. But joint air defense exercises faltered during the 1970s and '80s as India moved closer to the then-Soviet Union, which became a major supplier of military hardware for New Delhi.