RI, US AIR FORCES TO CONDUCT JOINT EXERCISE

Jakarta, Apr 19 (ANTARA) - The United States and Indonesia are scheduled to conduct a joint military exercise dubbed "Cope West 10" at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in eastern Jakarta April 19 through 23, 2010.
"Three US Air Force C-130 Hercules and approximately 77 airmen from the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan, and one C-130 from the Indonesia Air Force are scheduled to participate in exercise Cope West 10," a press statement from the US embassy here said on Monday.

Although Indonesia hosted Cope West 09 last year, this is only the second such exercise staged between Indonesia and the US since 1997 and symbolizes growing military cooperation between the two countries.

Cope West is a bilateral tactical airlift exercise involving the US and Indonesian air forces.

The exercise is designed to advance interoperability between the two air forces and allows for the exchange of techniques related to airlift, air land and air drop delivery specific to US and Indonesian aircraft.
Cope West also promotes regional stability through cooperation and unity of purpose, as well as enhances combined readiness and interoperability, reinforces the US commitment to the Pacific, and demonstrates US capability to conduct tactical airlift operations in a bilateral environment, according to the statement posted on the official website of the US embassy in Jakarta.

(tx/f001/A/HAJM/14:40/O001)