Indian, Russian air forces hold first ever joint drills

Avia Indra-2014 is being held in Voronezh at the Pogonovo range and in the Astrakhan Region at the Ashuluk training range.

Indra is a joint, bi-annual military exercise conducted by India and Russia that began in 2003.

The Indra exercise is tasked with boosting cooperation and inter-operability between the Russian and Indian navies. It was later extended to the armies as well.

Helicopters brought down several thousands of litres of water to the firing ground, practicing fire-fighting, and the fighters hit the ground targets with missiles and bombs.

The Indian Defence Ministry termed the exercises as a “major milestone” in military relations.

Pilots from mixed crews communicated with each other in English, and using sign language.

Joint air defence crews at the Ashuluk military range repulsed a strike by a simulated enemy with field firings of S-400, S-300, Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems, and the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile-and-gun system

Russo-Indian crews manned Su-30SM aircrafts and Mi-35 and Mi-8 helicopters, on joint flights to fire on ground targets.

The second phase of the exercises will be held in India in November 2014.