By IANS
Waddington (Britain) : The ongoing India-Britain joint air drill at this Royal Air Force (RAF) base primarily not only involves flying activities but also involves a mammoth logistical exercise that is largely out of the public eye.
At the forefront of the planning for the exercise that began July 2 and concludes Saturday have been Indian Air Force (IAF) officers at Air Headquarters in New Delhi, as also at the South Western Air Command at Gandhinagar, the Central Air Command at Allahabad, and at the Air Force Bases at Pune and Agra.
"Bringing it to fruition was a challenge," said Wing Commander A.C. Chopra of the six months of planning that went into the exercise, codenamed Indradhanush or rainbow. This is the first time the IAF is participating in a joint drill in Britain. A similar exercise with the RAF had been conducted at Gwalior in India in 2006.
Chopra is the deputy leader of the IAF team and along with the logistics officer, Wing Comander Manish Dialani and a few others from the operational and maintenance branches, had visited Britain earlier to coordinate the requirements for the exercise.
"The challenge has just begun," maintained Dialani of the vast logistical issues that will need winding-up after thorough scrutiny when the IAF team leaves.
"It is good to have a logistics officer accompanying the team," echoed most of the IAF members as the nitty-gritty of accommodation, transportation and food have been well taken care of.
Chopra – Choppy – to his mates on either side had stayed in Britain for a year in 2003 on a staff course and was thus on familiar ground.
"My airmen leave very early in the morning to get the fighters ready in time for the day's exercise. Their requirements of breakfast and vehicles are timely and the going has been smooth," said Squadron Leader S.B.H. Reddy, senior technical officer of the IAF's Rhinos squadron whose Sukhoi Su-30 MKIs have been fielded at the joint drill.
He is at the helm of affairs for the technical maintenance of the fighters, and together with his motivated technicians, aims at "100-percent serviceability" of the jets during the exercise.
Just five km north of RAF Waddington, the University of Lincoln is normally bustling with student activities. Housing nearly 17,500 students, the campus has now been transformed into a military bastion as it hosts the combined strength of Indradhanush airmen from the IAF and RAF.
"It has been possible to accommodate the members from both air forces as the students are on vacation," a university official said.
The university now houses 150 officers and airmen of the IAF and 75 from the RAF 25 Squadron.
The visitors couldn't have asked for a better location – just walking distance from the city centre, and with the centuries old Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle in close proximity. The university thus forms an ideal retreat.
"We are very happy with the arrangements," said Master Warrant Officer D. Arpurtharaj, the seniormost IAF airman here.
Sickness has been mostly kept at bay.
"Primarily, there have been only a few cases of upset stomachs and bronchitis," said Wing Commander D. Chakraborty, the aviation medicine specialist accompanying the team who has set up a small medical centre at the airfield.
The IAF team arrived here in the thick of the monsoon after experiencing a simmering hot spell at Doha and Tanagra (Greece) during transit halts on the way from India and that led to respiratory problems for a few.