Two USAF F-15 Eagles and two IAF MIG-27 Floggers flying in formation during Cope India 2004.A pair of Su-30Ks and Mirage 2000s from the IAF, flying alongside two USAF F-15s during Cope India 2004.
Cope India Exercise are a series of international Air Force exercises between the Indian Air Force and the United States Air Force conducted on and over Indian soil. The first such exercise, which required many months of preparation, was conducted at the air force station in Gwalior from February 16 through February 27, 2004, with the US Air Force withdrawing troops and aircraft on February 27. The exercise included flight tests, practice and demonstrations as well as lectures on subjects related to aviation. There were also media functions and social interactions among troops of the two countries. After the event was over, the Indian Air Force indicated that "[t]he mutual respect and bonhomie that developed between members of the two sides have cemented a firm foundation for moving ahead towards higher bilateralism."[1] According to press reports, representatives of the United States found it a "positive experience" that led to the re-evaluation of some assumptions about US air tactics.[2][3] The exercise was repeated in 2005, 2006, 2009, 2018 and 2023.[4][5][6][7]
The exercises allow US pilots to go up against Russian Su-30 and French Mirages.[8]
In Cope India 2018, Col Daryl Insley of USAF said while they learn from the IAF, the Indian force also learns from them. Commending the IAF's professionalism, he said, "Their capabilities are equal to how we operate".[9]
