Col. Raymond LaMarche, exercise director for Cope India, provides comments during a Cope India press conference where nearly 85 international media representatives attended. More than 150 U.S. Air Force and Army personnel are participating in Cope India, a United States and India airlift exercise that provides training for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Capt. Genieve David)
Air Commodore Shouvik Roy , from the Indian Air Force, provides comments during the Cope India opening ceremony at Air Force Station Agra, India, Oct. 19. More than 150 U.S. Air Force and Army personnel are participating in Cope India, a United States and India airlift exercise that provides training for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Capt. Genieve David)
Maj. Sean Papworth (L), Lt. Col. Dave Kincaid and Capt. Patrick McBride standby to give aircraft related expertise during a Cope India press conference at Air Force Station Agra, India, where nearly 85 Indian media representatives were in attendance. More than 150 U.S. Air Force and Army personnel are participating in Cope India, a United States and India airlift exercise that provides training for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Maj. Papworth is from the 535th Airlift Squadron at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; Colonel Kincaid is from the 36th AS at Yokota Air Base, Japan; Captain McBride is from the 115th Airlift Squadron at Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, Port Hueneme, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Genieve David)
by Capt. Genieve David
13th Air Force Public Affairs
10/21/2009 - AIR FORCE STATION AGRA, India -- More than 400 combined airmen from the United States and India began the fourth installment of exercise Cope India, a bilateral humanitarian assistance disaster relief exercise, after officially kicking-off here Oct. 19.
The exercise will exchange airlift, air land, and tactical airdrop delivery techniques using three C-130H Hercules, one C-17 Globemaster III, one C-130J, and IAF aircraft to include one IL-76 Gajraj, four AN-32 Sutlejes, two MI-17 Prataps, and one Chetak Alouette.
"The changing world order places an honest demand on us to safeguard peace and freedom," said commanding air officer of Agra, Indian air force Air Commodore Shouvik Roy. "These exercises allow us to explore effect-based operational utilization of our assets."
Additionally, both air forces will conduct cooperative flight operations, to include aircraft generation and recovery, low-level navigation, host subject matter expert exchanges in the operations, maintenance and rigging disciplines.
"A strong strategic relationship between the United States and India is crucial to addressing regional security, and challenges such as maintaining peace, security, stability and responding to humanitarian crises and natural disasters when they occur, said U.S. Ambassador to India, Timothy Roemer.
"This exercise is a perfect example of how the U.S. Air Force and the Indian Air Force are working together - sharing information, training and expertise to develop as professional forces," he added.
