No word yet on whether the Indian Air Force is besting USAF in this year’s Cope India exercise, as they did in 2004. USAF officials say, though, that there is a growing sense of camaraderie between the two air forces. Approximately 250 Pacific Air Forces airmen joined their Indian counterparts on Nov. 7 to begin the two-week air combat training exercise. Participants include F-16s from Misawa AB, Japan, and an E-3 Sentry from Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan, with the Indians flying several MiG models and the Su-30.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall doesn’t see great value in trying to break the Sentinel ICBM program off as a separate budget item the way the Navy has with its ballistic-missile submarine program, saying such a move wouldn’t create any new money for the Air Force to spend on other…