Toi correspondent from Washington: Elmendorf and its partner Eielson AFB are the base where India and the United States have done their most corroborative military hugs over the years. In June last year, IAF brought a breathtaking array of its aerial property in Alaska, when the shoe was on the other leg, and China was in the American doghouse. Flying on the world around the world, an IAF team, including a supplement of female passengers with SQ LDR Shivangi Singh, made his way to eight Rafale fighter jets led by Rafale Scadadron Commanding Officer Sq LDR Mohit Tyagi and group captain RS SIDHU. They were supported by two Russian-made IL-78 fuel-filling and three US-made C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from 250+ member crew to fill the mid-fuel, both have been bought by New Delhi. Neither China nor Pakistan, very little Russia, was in practice, including the UK’s Royal Air Force, German Luftwaf and the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF). Red Flag-Alka, the USAF, crowned at the time, “serves as an ideal platform for international engagement and has a long history of involving colleagues and partners in practice.”Indeed, Alaska returned to the Indian radar (and vice versa) by 2004 when in 2004 when the crew from Elmendorf AFB came to Gwalior for the Copes and aircraft Copes India Exercise, the IAF rolled out its SU -MK, Mirage 2000, Jaguar, MiG 27, and MIG -21. In less than a decade, as Bush’s years had given way to the era of Obama, there was enough comfort and cooperation that India sent more advanced SU -MKI and even deployed two IL -78 aerial fuel tankers and two C -17 transport aircraft for red flag practice in Alaska in 2016.By the diversion of the decade, things seemed so hunkie-dori that Indian soldiers were also being sent to Alaska for Yudh Abhas exercises, including the survival of cold weather and climber training. In 2021, some 350 soldiers from the 7th Battalion of the Madras Regiment were airlifted to Elmandorf by IAF’s No. 81 Squadron for two weeks of training.The high point of India’s Alaska’s engagement came in 2024 when India included SQ LDR Shivangi Singh and five female officers in maintenance and support roles, called “a milestone for gender diversity in IAF”. New Delhi said that the experience of traveling long distances while performing the air-to-air fueling route, New Delhi said, especially there was both a rich and thrilling for the youth crew.Although President Trump is allowing the air to go out of the relationship, with the possibility of torringing it completely on business and tariff issues, Indian officials remain optimistic that it is a passing phase and will tolerate the US-India relations. A prominent diplomat adopted the “This too will pass” and adopted the righteous attitude of “This will be very high in all other areas.
