Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Tuesday in Jodhpur said air power will play a vital and critical role in deciding the outcome of conflicts in the future.
"There's no doubt that in any future conflict anywhere in the globe, air power will play a very vital and critical role in deciding the outcomes of the conflict. Such exercises (Garuda) give us the opportunity to hone our skills," the IAF chief said.
He also described the importance of the Garuda exercise saying that it will help improve the interoperability between the Indian and French Air Force.
"We have learned how to carry forward our interoperability. French Air Force also flies Rafale, we also fly Rafale, but we fly many other aircraft along with Rafale. It's important to learn how to interoperate with friendly nations," he said.
Rafale is a French twin-engine and multi-role fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation.
IAF chief mentioned that Garuda' is one exercise that gives an opportunity which exposes Indian pilots and crew to the best packages of the French Air & Space Force (FASF) and vice versa.
IAF and FASF are participating in the 'Garuda VIl' bilateral exercise in Jodhpur.
French Air and Space Force Chief Gen Stephane Mille also expressed his views on the Garuda exercise and said, "We are here to fly together with Indian aircrew. Sometimes, with a simple act, we can do a lot. Doing this exercise, we are able to understand each other during the flight. It's very important to be able to fly and operate together."
The 'Garuda VII' exercise, involving a significant number of combat jets such as Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar, and Sukhoi-30s, began on October 26 and will culminate on November 12.
( With inputs from ANI )
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