Air Force training sorties are set for Nevada desert

Air Force officials said South Korean and French pilots also would take part in the realistic combat exercises, which will put about 65 airplanes in the skies over two weeks. It brings India’s pilots to the United States for training for the first time.

“This particular Air Force exercise is important because India is included among some very important allies,” said Christine Fair, a South Asia specialist at the RAND Corp. “This is definitely an extension of an arc that has been mapped out since 2000, and it really signifies that what India and the United States have is a strategic relationship.”

The Indian and U.S. militaries had little interaction during the Cold War, when India was closer to the Soviet Union and the United States was seen to be allied with India’s neighbor and rival, Pakistan.

But relations have steadily improved, with increasing political, economic and military ties. The Sept. 11 attacks in the United States and the subsequent fight against terrorism brought the two sides even closer.

Ties have expanded rapidly since then, with a series of joint military exercises. Analysts think that the United States is eager to use India as a counter to China in the region.

“The United States is very keen that India become important,” Fair said. “India’s going to be doing what it wants to do in the area that China thinks is important, and a more capable, strong India will be able to prevent Chinese hegemony more so than a weak India.”

India is also extremely worried about China’s growing military and political influence in the region and has upped its military spending.

Capt. Marcus Wilson, team chief for the exercises, said the exercises are not designed to combat any specific country or threat but are designed to test how the forces would work together during missions.

Wilson said more than 1,000 people in all would participate in the simulations of various exercises, from bomb-dropping to hostage rescue.

Dr. Jing-dong Yuan, a nonproliferation expert at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, said North Korea most likely would have the strongest negative reaction to the joint exercises.

“Pyongyang, through its state-run news agency, the Korean Central News Agency, has consistently and passionately criticized such ventures accusing the United States of harboring hostile intentions toward North Korea,” Yuan said. “Beijing would likely remain reticent (about) such training since it does not see itself as directly and imminently affected by such activities.”