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CPI-M prevents US aircraft from landing in Kolkata
by Ajitha Menon      

    Kolkata: Activists of West Bengal's ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Thursday prevented a US aircraft and its F-16 crew from landing at Kolkata Airport. Staging a vociferous protest at the airport, the CPI-M demonstratrors forced the air traffic control authorities to relay instructions to the aircraft crew to take off soon after it hit the runway. The aircraft had arrived in Kolkata to participate in the Indo-US air exercises at Kalaikonda from November 7 to 19. The aircraft had to take off for Bagdogra Airport in North Bengal, where it faced a similar protest from CPM activists deployed there. The crew of the plane was not allowed to disembark, and according to the latest information, the aircraft has returned to Kolkata, but the crew is not being allowed to disembark.

    The Indian and US Air Force will test their mettle at Kalaikunda in West Bengal at the second Indo-US joint air exercises from November 7-19. The exercise titled Cope India 05 would see the participation of F-16 fighters jets from the USAF squadron based in Japan and IAF fighters, SU-30K, Mirage-2000, MiG-21 Bison and MiG-27s. The IAF's tanker fleet, IL-78 will also be deployed at the joint exercises For the first time, AWACS will take part in the air exercise. The IAF is in the process of inducting AWACS for Beyond Visual Range (BVR) strike capability, and its inclusion in Cope India 05 is being considered significant. The Indo-French joint exercise at the Istres Air Base in France also saw the deployment of the AWACS by the French Air Force. Sources said that the exercises would include Dissimilar Air Combat Manoeuvring (ACM) and Large Force Engagement (LFE) in the Beyond Visual Range (BVR) regime. At the previous Indo-US joint exercises in Alaska, IAF pilots had got the better of the US pilots in their MiG-21s. Officials said that the aim of the joint exercise is to enhance mutual operational understanding and refine procedures for future joint exercises between the two Air Forces and familiarize with each other's operational, technical and administrative practices.