BANGALORE, India –
Seventeen crewmembers from Patrol Squadron Ten (VP-10) ‘Red Lancers’ arrived at the Yelahanka airfield in Bangalore, India, Feb. 11 as participants in Aero India 2017. Aero India is a biennial airshow and aviation exhibition. This year’s airshow began on Feb. 14 and displayed 72 different aircraft from 51 countries.
Although the Red Lancers did not execute a flight demonstration, their static display was one of the premier attractions. With India’s recent purchase of P-8I aircraft, the Red Lancer’s presence was instrumental in fostering the growing partnership with the Indian Navy and established a solid foundation for continued future relations.
During the airshow, the Red Lancers spent time interacting with the locals through personal conversations, participating in public interviews, distributing squadron memorabilia, and posing for photographs. The Lancers took pride in showcasing the P-8A aircraft to the foreign militaries that were present and enjoyed touring the other diverse platforms on display.
The detachment personnel enjoyed the opportunity to welcome the Indian Armed Forces on board the P-8A and discuss the multiple mission sets our Combat Aircrews fly on a routine basis. The most notable delegates that toured the P-8A included Adm. Sunil Lamba, India Chief of Naval Staff, Air Force Deputy Under Secretary Heidi Grant and Air Force Maj. Gen. Abel Barrientes.
“Displaying our aircraft in the Aero India 2017 airshow reaffirms our commitment with the Indian Armed Forces and is a key opportunity to communicate our level of interest in bilateral cooperation,” said Cmdr. Michael Albus, VP-10’s executive officer. “We hope that this air show is a stepping stone to further our partnership through military to military interoperability operations.”
During their off-duty time, the Lancers experienced the diverse sounds, smells and tastes of India through public market shopping, tours of historic landmarks, and experiencing the flavorful local cuisine. Although their time off was enjoyable, the Lancers valued the opportunity to build relationships with their regional allies and demonstrate their commitment to the people of India the most. Aero India 2017 was a tremendous success conveying the United States’ support for the Indian Armed Forces and strengthening our partnership for the future.
The Red Lancers are based out of Jacksonville, Fla. and are currently on a routine deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions and providing maritime domain awareness to supported units throughout the Pacific theater.