US' B-1B Lancer to perform 'fly by' at Aero India

Bengaluru: The United States participation in Aero India 2021 is another example of the deepening defense and strategic partnership between the United States and India. Don Heflin, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires, will lead a high-level delegation of U.S. Government officials and defense industry representatives to the event.

"I am pleased to head this year's U.S. delegation to Aero India to show our continued commitment to strengthening U.S.-India defense cooperation, in line with India's status as a Major Defense Partner," Heflin said.

"U.S. participation in Aero India 2021 reflects our increasingly close bilateral defense ties and our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region."

Leading U.S. defense companies are also participating in Aero India 2021, including Aerospace Quality Research & Development LLC, Airborn Inc., Boeing, IEH Corporation, GE Aviation, General Atomics, Hi-Tech Import Export Corporation, L3Harris, Laversab India, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Trakka Systems.

Among the highlights of the show, a B-1B Lancer heavy bomber, of the 28th Bomb Wing based out of Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, will perform a "fly-by."

The B-1B Lancer, a supersonic heavy bomber, is a truly remarkable aircraft, capable of carrying out missions worldwide from its bases in the United States, as well as from forward deployed locations.

It carries the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the U.S. Air Force and is considered the backbone of America's long-range bomber force.