B-1B Lancer heavy bomber to perform fly-by" at Aero India 2021

Don Heflin, U.S.Charg dAffaires,will lead a high-level delegation of U.S.Government officialsand defence industry representatives to the Aero India 2021 tobe held here from February three.

''I am pleased to head this years U.S.delegation to AeroIndia to show our continued commitment to strengthening U.S.

-India defense cooperation, in line with India's status as aMajor Defense Partner, Heflin was quoted as saying in a U.S.

Consulate General Chennai press release on Friday.

''U.S.participation in Aero India 2021 reflects ourincreasingly close bilateral defense ties and our sharedvision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region'', he said.

U.S. participation in Aero India 2021 provides both U.S.

industry and the U.S.military services the opportunity tostrengthen military-to-military relations and defensecooperation with India, the statement said.

''Our two militaries work together to uphold a rules-basedinternational order in the Indo-Pacific.

Public and private participation by the United States inAero India 2021 demonstrates the importance the United Statesplaces on its strategic partnership with India'', it said.

LeadingU.S.defence companies are also participating inAero India 2021, including Aerospace Quality Research &Development LLC, Airborn Inc., Boeing, IEH Corporation,GEAviation, General Atomics, Hi-Tech Import Export Corporation,L3Harris, Laversab India, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, andTrakka Systems.

Among the highlights of the show, a B-1B Lancer heavybomber of the 28thBomb Wing based out of Ellsworth Air ForceBase in South Dakota, will perform a ''fly-by.'' ''The B-1B Lancer, a supersonic heavy bomber, is a trulyremarkable aircraft, capable of carrying out missionsworldwide from its bases in the United States, as well as fromforward deployed locations.

It carries the largest conventional payload of bothguided and unguided weapons in the U.S.Air Force and isconsidered the backbone of Americas long-range bomber force'',according to the statement.

In the spirit of bilateral support for the hybrid defenceexhibition, the United States Air Force Band of the Pacificbased out of Hawaii will perform with Indian percussion(ghatam) artist Giridhar Udupa.

The collaboration will be broadcast at a later date onU.S. Embassy and Consulate Facebook and Instagram pages.