India and the United States would post middle rung Air Force officers at each other’s headquarters and training establishments for inter-operability apart from carrying out a series of joint air, ground and naval exercises, officials said here today.A high-level delegation of officials would leave for the US shortly to examine various sensors available in the market and also study the sensors deployed on the US-Mexican border.As part of the exchange programme, an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot has been sent to Mississippi to study US air force (transport fleet) operations. And in March 2003, a US air force pilot would come to the Air Force Training Academy, Dindigul for training. The two countries would also post officers from the logistics branch to each other’s force headquarters to understand the pattern of functioning, the sources added.The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Madhvendra Singh would visit the US early next week and is scheduled to hold a series of discussions on forging closer ties with the Pacific command. Indian and US navies are also expected to carry out the Malabar series of exercises in end of September and early October. The Indo-US joint patrolling in the Malacca straits, however, is coming to an end.The Army and the Air Force along with their US counterparts would carry out a joint special forces exercise in Alaska in October.
