New Delhi: With the recently conducted multi-nation, multi-carrier joint exercise "Malabar" just beginning to recede from public memory, fresh controversy is threatening to break out at a political level with the Indian Air Force (IAF) seeking government permission to take part in the US Air Force conducted "Red Flag" exercises, widely acknowledged as the most advanced fighter exercise in the world. The controversy has broken out even as the Left members and the Congress, constituents of the United Progressive Alliance, met yesterday to break the logjam over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

With Left party officials once again asserting that the country was gradually being enveloped into a strategic alliance with the US, the country''s defence minister, AK Anthony, adopted a business-as-usual posture. He said that participation in multi-nation and bilateral exercises helped in gearing up the operational preparedness of the armed forces and that nothing more needed to be read into these exercises beyond this.

"There was nothing new in holding or participating in such exercises as it gave an opportunity to the country''s forces to get acquainted with advanced technology, weapons system and platforms," he said.

When queried whether the government would allow the IAF to take part in the ''Red Flag'' exercises, in which the US Air Force normally invited only its NATO and other allies, the defence minister responded "if such exercises are highly essential to test the preparedness of the armed forces, the government does give its approval."

"We have been holding such exercises for quite some time now. There is nothing new in it," he told reporters. The minister was speaking on the sidelines of a function here to inaugurate the Molecular Imaging and Research Centre of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). "We will be holding joint exercises with China in the future," Antony said. The country has already taken part in multi-nation exercises in the past with the US, France, Singapore and the UK.

The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal FH Major has revealed that the force has sought Government clearance to take part in the ''Red Flag'' aerial combat training exercises.

The exercises are conducted in four to six cycles a year by the 414th Combat training squadron of the US Air Force to train fighter pilots from US, NATO and other allied countries for real combat situations.