This was the Indian Air Force's Exercise INDRADHANUSH (Rainbow) which took place at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire this year. The Indian Air Force brought over four Sukhoi SU-30 'Flanker' fighters to take part in the fourth edition of ten-day long bilateral exercise 'Indradhanush'. The Su-30s came from 2 Sqn – the Winged Arrows – based at Tezpur near India’s frontier with China.

The 190-member Indian Air Force contingent brought over also an IL-78 tanker, a C-17 strategic and a C-130J tactical airlift aircraft.

The aim of the exercise was to enhance mutual operational understanding between the two Air Forces. The IAF aims to demonstrate its ability to project air power in transcontinental deployment of a task force comprising Su-30 MKI fighters, IL-78 tankers, C-17 strategic and C-130J tactical airlift aircraft in air operations

Su-30 MKI was operating with the Typhoon of the RAF Air Base at Coningsby. The IL-78 and C-130J were hosted at Brize Norton and they were inducted in missions.

During the exercise, the Su-30MKI and Typhoon aircraft were operating in mixed formations under various near-realistic scenarios. This was the fourth joint exercise, with the British and Indians taking it in turns to visit each other's air bases.

would like to thank the RAF Public Affairs for their valuable cooperation.

Indian Air Force
4 x Sukhoi SU-30 MKI 'Flanker" fighters
1 x IL-78 tanker

1 x C-17

1 X C-130J

RAF

2 x Boeing E-3D Sentry

Several Eurofighter Typhoon T3, F.2, FGR4 etc

RAF A330 Voyager tanker 

COBHAM

Dassault Falcon 20