Posted on 08/23/2007 9:05:40 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick
NEW DELHI: Ahead of the biggest naval wargame to be hosted by India in the Bay of Bengal, a top American military official on Thursday scotched China's fears that the exercise involving US, Australia and Japan was aimed at isolating the communist country.
US Navy's Pacific Commander Timothy J Keating observed that Indo-US military ties had become "more robust" but side stepped questions about opposition from the Left parties to the upcoming Malabar exercise, merely saying, "It is what democracy is all about."
The four-day Malabar exercise beginning on September 4, which will see the biggest congregation of warships in the Bay of Bengal since the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, is a reflection of the "shared interest" of India, US, Australia and Singapore, Keating told reporters.
At the same time, he said, "We want to minimise the potential areas of misunderstanding and confusion between all of us and China."
The manouvres are not aimed at forming a "quadilateral front" against China, said Keating, who is on a four-day visit here to discuss ties between the navies of India and the US.
"Let me emphasise, there is is no effort on our part or any of these other countries (participating in the exercises) to isolate China or put Beijing in a closet," Keating said.
I'm thinking this so called reporter is an idiot... While I'm not sure all the F-14's are history yet, never has an F-15 set wheel one on a carrier... being an Air Force fighter and not carrier capable and all... Just a SMALL point. It also seems that there are no F-18E/F's on carriers as well... Nor surveillance aircraft, nor... Oh I've had enough of dolts writing as if they know anything about carriers... The guys a dunce!
and the fact that the f-15 is a land based fighter...
Yeah, it's aimed at those Andaman Islands tribesmen who keep acting up. ;)
What I’d like to know is why we’re so wimpy about characterizing these maneuvers as “not being against China” when The Chinese & Russians made a point of telling us their joint-maneuvers were specifically against the US?
The F14 Tomcat is history. Many are being shredded as we speak/type, ostensibly to prevent their parts from finding their way to Iran (which has the only remaining examples still flying).
No F-15s...nor will their be a navalized F-22 which Xlinton rejected back in '93, and sadly, yes,
the last F-14 squadron was already retired last year leaving an interceptor capability void....
And F-15’s never were
Good read. Bump!
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