Carrier Air Wing Five jets participate in Aero India 2023

ByLt.Cmdr.JosephKeiley

Commander Task Force 70 / Carrier Strike Group 5

BENGALURU India (NNS) Members of the “Royal Maces” of Strike Fighter Squadron(VFA)27and“Diamondbacks of (VFA) 102 joined hundreds of civilian and military exhibitors for the Aero India 2023 aerospace exhibition held at Yelahanka Air ForceStationinBengaluru,India,Feb.13-17

Aero India 2023 offers a venue to build stronger relationships between the U.S. and India, as well as with other participating nations Department of Defense leadership and participating units’ attendance underscores the importance of the tightknit U.S.-India partnership and our shared commitmenttoafreeandopenIndo-Pacific.

“Participating in Aero India is an excellent opportunity for our squadrons to be showcased alongside our Indian partners,” said Cmdr Adam Cohen, executive officer, VFA 27 “Our squadrons routinely operate throughout the entire Indo-Pacific and it is always a great experience to visit a partner nation’s country in person, and showcasetheprofessionalismoftheRoyalMace, Diamondback team and Carrier Air Wing (CVW)5.”

VFA-27 operates the F/A-18E Super Hornet and VFA-102 operates the F/A-18F Super Hornet as part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW)5,whichdeployswithCarrierStrike Group (CSG) 5. As part of the strike group,

CVW 5 completed a 7th Fleet deployment in 2022 where they provided airpower in support of the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group while it operated with Allies and partners in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific Those missions included numerous joint and combined multi-lateral operations demonstrating flexibility and capability in multiple warfighting domains, ensuring commitment to regional stability andAlliedandpartnerrelationship-building

CVW 5 aircraft have routinely operated withtheIndianNavyincludingduringexerciseMalabar2022inNovemberoffthecoast ofJapanandinJune2021,CVW5conducted multi-axistrainingoffthecoastofIndia,that included a P-8I maritime patrol and recon- naissance aircraft, MiG-29K fighters from the Indian Navy Air Squadron 303, and Su-30 fighter aircrafts from the Indian Air Force222Squadron.

The“RoyalMaces and“Diamondbacks” are forward-deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. The squadrons directly support the 7th Fleet area of operations and enable a free and open Indo-Pacificregion.

7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with Allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacificregion

ABOVE:An IndianAirForce

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