BY : NDTV

When it come to India's strategic relationship with the United States, one often refers to the nuclear deal. But perhaps the most visible example of this is in military ties.

For the last several years, India and the US have been engaging in progressively more complex military exercises and are currently participating in the most sophisticated air combat exercises in the world called Red Flag in the state of Nevada.

Such exercises are reserved only for the closest military allies of the United States.

Through this exercise, a young fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force gets a chance for a sortie where he will pit his skills against some of the finest of the US, French and South Korean Air Forces.

"This is an exercise which tries to replicate the first ten days of an air battle and provide a realistic exposure to the air crew so that he can be exposed to the nuances of it and thereby be prepared for what comes to him. God forbid if he ever has to participate in hostilities," Group Captain Ajai Rathore, IAF Exercise Coordinator, Red Flag said.

Exercises like this which involve dozens of jets maneuvering in a restricted airspace while carrying out their missions requires precision skills.

For the Indian Air Force, performing well in this environment is not just a matter of pride. It is also a pointer to just how capable its personnel are as they operate with some of the best of the West and so far the results have been positive.

The Indian Air Force's top gun the Sukhoi 30 fighter are deployed on an American air base in Nevada. This is perhaps the most visible example of the close strategic relationship between India and the United States, a strategic relationship which is based to a large extent on the military to military ties between the Indian and US Air Forces.