The IAF contingent consists of four Rafale planes, two C-17 planes, two ll-78 planes, and 165 air warriors. India has sent its Rafale aircrafts outside the country for the first time.
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The Indian Air Force (IAF) Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh, the first female pilot to fly the Rafale combat aircraft, is part of the IAF contingent participating in the multinational war game Exercise Orion in France.
In 2017, Shivangi Singh was commissioned into IAF and was part of the IAF’s second batch of women fighter pilots. Earlier, she used to fly MiG-21 Bison. She is now part of the famed IAF’s Golden Arrows squadron, which is located at Ambala, Punjab. She is originally from Varanasi.
About Exercise Orion
Exercise Orion is a multinational wargame happening at Mont-de-Marsan in France. This wargame is by NATO and its important allies. The exercise started on April 17 and will go on until May 5. The IAF contingent consists of four Rafale planes, two C-17 planes, two ll-78 planes, and 165 air warriors. India has sent its Rafale aircrafts outside the country for the first time.
On April 26, Indian Air Force tweeted, “Busy Minds, Busier Skies! A detailed pre-flight brief is as important as the flight itself. #IAF Air Warriors busy planning their routines during the ongoing #ExOrion 23.”
Earlier, French Ambassador Emmanuel Lenain welcomed the IAF contingent and tweeted, “France warmly welcomes the @IAF_MCC contingent that will take part in exercise #Orion2023 from today! French & Indian #Rafale jets will soon fly together in the skies of France.”
According to the statement released by the Ministry of Defence, “Besides the IAF and the FASF, Air Forces from Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain and the United States would also be flying in this multilateral exercise. Participation in this exercise would further enrich the employment philosophy of the Indian Air Force by imbibing the best practices from other Air Forces”.
Exercise Orion is believed to be the largest multinational exercise ever conducted by the French defence services, which involves their Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as their allies, the United States and the United Kingdom. Around 7000 NATO troops are said to have participated in the training involving NATO allies’ land forces.
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