Huge Indian plane comes for 32 men |19 November 2004

Indian High Commissioner Arun Kumar Goel announced this during a press conference in his office, where he said India spares no cost in the training of personnel.

He said the cost of the 10-day exercises had not been established yet, but agreed it was substantial, given that a naval vessel and two aircraft were involved.

He said the Antonov 32 that the men were using during the exercises on both Mahe and Praslin could have flown the men back to India, but was deployed elsewhere.

Also, unlike the four-engine Ilyushin 76 that will fly directly to India, the Antononov would need to make a number of stops. It is scheduled to leave for Madagascar on Friday morning, while the bigger aircraft departs for India Friday afternoon.

H.E. Goel said that the men could not travel on a commercial airliner because of the amount and nature of their equipment, some of which is not allowed on ordinary aeroplanes.

The high commissioner, whose name was regrettably misspelled in earlier articles by error, said that the expenditure for the exercises that have just been completed is in addition to the US$200,000 that his country spends on the training of Seychellois.

During the press conference, he was accompanied by Nairobi-based Indian defence adviser, Captain Kapil Gupta, Lt Col. Robert Ernesta of SPDF and Brigadier G.S. Grewal.

"I am very satisfied with the way the exercise was planned and meticulously executed," Mr Goel said.

"I have learned that officers from both sides feel they have definitely gained from the joint exercises," he said, adding that India holds joint exercises with 58 countries around the world.

Lt Col. Ernesta said SPDF is already looking forward to the third joint exercise with the Indian military, when, he said, the military personnel will put to practice what they had learned during the just-concluded exercises.

He said that this time there was more emphasis on counter-terrorism efforts than last time.
"I wish to put on record our appreciation for the support of our Indian counterparts and we look forward to an enhancement of this kind of cooperation for the betterment of our two forces," he said.

In addition to the parachute jumps on Mahe last weekend and the Tuesday exercises on Praslin, the SPDF and Indian military personnel also took part in community work.
On Wednesday they cleared the ground for a proposed Anglican church at Pointe Larue.

On Thursday morning they laid wreaths at the SPDF memorial at Seychelles International Airport.