RSAF F 16 C/D Falcon vs IAF Su 30 MKI Flanker Code Name SINDEX

RSAF F 16 C/D Falcon vs IAF Su 30 MKI Flanker Code Name SINDEX

    The Republic of Singapore Air force F 16 Fighting falcon and the Indian Air force Su 30 MKI Flanker engaged in a practice exercise to know the capability of each others fighter Jets. The RSAF has rival enemy China who operates Flankers and it's clones and the IAF's has rival enemy Pakistan who operates F 16 blk 52 fighters. The Joint military exercise validates the operational credibility of understanding the threats posed by each others fighter Jets. This is not the first time that IAF conducting military exercise against Fighting falcons, Earlier many times IAF fighter performed simulated attack run over Falcons in friendly exercises.

    The Joint Exercise code named SINDEX- Singapore India Exercise, The RSAF fighters conducting exercises with Indian Air forces many times since earlier 2004, The annual exercise mostly involves Singaporean F 16 against Indian Air force fighters such as Mirage 2000, MiG 29, Jaguar and Su 30 MKI. In this edition RSAF deployed six F 16 C/D or Blk 52 fighters along with hundred other personnel's led by Lt.Col Ong Teck Coon.

    Indian side deployed only four Su 30 MKI, The month long exercise conducted in Kalaikunda Air force station in India from November 12th to December 17th. Reports from Singapore suggested the two seat F 16 accommodated Indian Pilots for observation during close combat missions and long range interception. IAF too allowed the Singaporean pilots to embark the Flanker. Such exercise are very important to know how the Fighters will respond when scrambled to interception and conducting combat air patrol.

    India slowly increasing the military exercise with America and it's allies to counter Chinese threat. Indian Armed forces engaging numerous exercise with anti Chinese nations. What is new here is India slightly expanded the exercise period into  10 to 15 days from month long to train Indian pilots and armed forces to fight against foreign military's. Earlier SINDEX exercises are mostly ten to fifteen days only. However this years exercise went more than a month.

SINDEX 2016 Team

  

  This is not the first time IAF Su 30 MKI faced the F 16 Blk 52, Earlier the IAF get a chance to engage simulated attack against American F 16's during the COPE India exercise in November 2005. During Cope India 2005 Americans deployed 12 F 16 Blk 52 in IAF station in Kalaikunda to face off against the IAF's Su 30 MKI Flankers. During the exercise they performed aerial attack run and ground attack missions.

     One year before that's in 2004 at first time IAF Su 30 gets a chance to fight against simulated attack against F 16 fighters. In 2004 under the code name SINDEX 04 RSAF deployed Six F 16 C/D to face off against IAF's Su 30 MKI, MiG 27 and Mirage 2000 aircraft's. Later years RSAF deployed F 16 to face off other Indian fighters like MiG 29 and Jaguar aircraft's.

    This makes most or all of the IAF fighters have full information's of how a F 16 fighter will works. And IAF pilots know how to face off against Pakistani F 16 fighters when they engaged in surprise missions. Meantime the Pakistani's never been engaged their fighters against any Flankers. However it's believed that China already given enough information's about Flankers operating procedures.

RSAF and Indian Airforce

   A high level Singaporean defense officials also visited India during the exercise, and Signed a Defense cooperation agreement  along with Singapore India strategic partnership agreement. The mutual agreements are mostly focus on the anti Chinese alliance against Chinese illegal claims in South China sea. The Key points in the Agreements are,

(a) Establish a regular Defence Ministers' Dialogue;

(b) Deepen cooperation in maritime security; and

(c) Encourage cooperation between defence industries of the two countries.

(d) Joint Military Exercises.

(e) Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)

    The Agreements also deepen the cooperation in earlier signed Naval ship location information's and joint cyber defense cooperation works between Singapore and India.