DHAKA: U.S. Air Force and Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) personnel now participating in the weeklong fourth COPE SOUTH 15, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, bilateral tactical airlift exercise, at BAF Base, Bangabandhu, Bangladesh began on January 24, 2015.

80 U.S. airmen along with three U.S. Air Force C-130H Hercules aircrafts from the 36th Airlift Squadron, 374th Airlift Wing, Yokota Air Base, Japan have joined 200 Bangladesh Air Force airmen and one Bangladeshi C-130 aircraft for the exercise.

The U.S. and Bangladesh air force participants are exchanging airlift, air-land and airdrop delivery tactics, techniques and procedures, as well as develop and expand combined airlift capabilities. 

Also, participants are conducting cooperative flight operations, to include aircraft generation and recovery, day and night low-level navigation, tactical airdrop, and air-land missions as well as conduct subject-matter expert exchanges in the operations, maintenance and rigging disciplines.

This exercise is taken to further strengthen the USAF-BAF relationship as both Air Forces continue to seek engagement opportunities, particularly in areas of humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, aviation safety, airlift and aviation maintenance and logistics, said a press release from American Center of the US Embassy in Dhaka.

The relationships built and sustained through these types of exercises, civil military operations and military exchanges help the United States and Bangladesh in humanitarian efforts and in preserving peace and stability in the region, the press release added.


BDST 1056 HRS, JAN 28, 2014