Joint Military Exercises: News & Discussion

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SSridhar
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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India, Thailand firm up maritime cooperation - Kallol Bhattacharjee, The Hindu
Cobra Gold 2016

We confirmed that India will participate in Cobra Gold 2016 [multilateral amphibious exercise] and Operation Maitri [counter-insurgency] {Correct spelling Op. Maitree, Op. Maitri is the HADR ops launched in Nepal after the earthquake}operations,” said Mr. Wadhwa.

India and Thailand recently held a joint task force meeting in Delhi to deepen maritime and defence cooperation which covers a range of issues, including ocean safety, disaster management and anti-terror drills. The delegations also confirmed that India and Thailand will soon hold naval exercises in the Andaman Seas.
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Link
The 9th India-Nepal combined military training exercise, ‘Surya Kiran’, will be conducted at Pithoragarh from today to February 21 under the aegis of the Panchshul brigade of central command. During the exercise, battalions from the Indian and Nepalese armies will share their experiences of counter-terrorism operations and jungle warfare.
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India, China hold 1st joint tactical exercise
New Delhi:India and China on Saturday conducted their first joint tactical exercise in eastern Ladakh as part of the ongoing policy to ensure greater interaction between troops stationed along the Line of Actual Control and boost bilateral military CBMs.

"The exercise, held in the Chushul-Moldo area, focused on coordination of operations to jointly undertake disaster relief and humanitarian aid. As previously agreed, the exercise was based on the contingency of a disaster taking place on the border and the subsequent coordination of rescue mission by joint teams," said an officer.

While the Indian Army team of 30 soldiers was led by Colonel Ritesh Chandra Singh, the Chinese delegation was led by Colonel Qu Yi. "The increased interaction amongst Indian and Chinese border troops is a very positive step in enhancing confidence and building relations between the two armies," the officer said.

The exercise comes after a senior Army delegation, led by Northern Command chief Lt General D S Hooda, visited China in December.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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India, China hold first joint tactical drill on border
Just to add to what is posted above.
This is part of the ongoing initiatives taken by India and China to ensure greater interaction between troops stationed along the Line of Actual Control, and thereby ensure peace and tranquillity along the border. “As previously agreed by both countries, the exercise focussed on actions to be coordinated to tackle jointly aspects of humanitarian aid and disaster relief,” the Army said in a statement.

Officials said the joint exercise, “Sino-India Cooperation 2016”, lasted an entire day. The 30-member Indian Army team was led by Colonel Ritesh Chandra Singh, while the Chinese delegation with an equal strength was led by Colonel Qu Yi. This exercise complements the Hand-in-Hand series of India-China Joint Exercises and the recently conducted joint exercise in Sikkim.
Note the venue of the recently conducted joint exercise.
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India will host its first multinational military exercise, Force 18, with 18 ASEAN Plus countries in Pune. Force 18 will be held from March 2 to March 8. It will be inclusive of the Asean countries and the Plus countries including the US, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea.
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ASEAN-Plus military drill begins in Pune - Shoumojit Banerjee, The Hindu
Military personnel of adversarial world powers converged upon the Aundh Military Station in Pune to thrall spectators with the largest Multinational Field Training Exercise (FTX) ever conducted on Indian soil.

The week-long exercise, being held from March 2 to 8, is christened ‘Force 18’ (initially labelled ‘FTX-2016’).
The spectacle is an elaborate and ambitious military training exercise involving Army units from eighteen countries, often locked as adversaries in the arena of global realpolitik. They include nine members of the Association of South East Asian Nations and eight observer States: India, Japan, Korea, China, Russia, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Myanmar was compelled to back out owing to elections and security issues pertaining to border infiltration.

Lt Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Commander of the city-based Southern Command, said the broad objective of ‘Force 18’ was to build common understanding and achieve inter-operability among the 18 ASEAN-Plus countries.

“The countries participating in this FTX have shown faith in the Indian Army for their excellent record with the UN peacekeeping forces,” said Lt Gen Rawat, remarking that an emphasis on minimising casualties caused by land mines would be a focal point. The drill also aims at reaffirming India’s expertise as the lead agency in Southeast Asia for Peacekeeping Operations and Humanitarian Mine Action. A unique facet of the exercise is that the Indian Army contingent of 40 soldiers is being led by Lt Col Sophia Qureshi, a woman officer from the Corps of Signals, who now has the rare distinction of becoming the first woman officer to lead an Indian Army training contingent in such a multinational exercise.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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FB page for the ASEAN+ Field Training Exercise (FTX) 18 at Pune.

https://www.facebook.com/Force18/?fref=photo
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India-Bangladesh drill in Sundarbans - Shiv Sahay Singh, The Hindu
In an attempt to bring in more synergy in coordinated border management, border-guarding forces of Bangladesh and India conducted their first-ever joint exercise in the riverine borders of the Sundarbans.

The exercise between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) commenced with troopers, including dog and bomb squads, from both the forces carrying out joint searches of cargo vessels on the Ichamati river.


The second day of the drill called ‘Sundarbans Maithri’ on Sunday was supervised by Inspector General, South Bengal frontier, Sandeep Salunkhe, Colonel Khandekar Farid Hassan, Region Commander BGB onboard the floating border outpost (BOP) Kamakhya.

Two floating BOPs of BSF — Kamakhya and Durga —along with BGB Ship Shahjalal were deployed in the waters of the Ichamati along the international border that serves as the international border between the two countries.

Congratulating both the forces on the successful conduct of the drill, senior BSF and BGB officers said the exercise would become a “regular affair” in the future.

‘Deterrent to smugglers’

While Mr. Salunkhe expressed hopes of more such exercises, Mr. Hasan said the drill “can be a big deterrent to smugglers and criminals who will have to deal with the combined efforts of both the forces”.

The officials said the joint exercise would be extended on land as well to make it part of a coordinated border management plan.

Speaking about cross-border smuggling, both BSF and BGB officers pointed out that smuggling of cattle has come down by nearly 60 to 70 per cent in the recent times. BSF officials also flagged concerns about smuggling of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN). Regarding concerns about smuggling of Phensedyl from India to Bangladesh, BSF officials said the recent decision to ban on the cough syrup would help the forces to stop smuggling.

“Now with the substance being banned, this will strengthen our hands,” Mr. Salunkhe said, adding that, earlier, in order to attract penal provisions under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, more than 10,000 bottles had to seized.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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Link - ToI
IAF's Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets and IL-78 mid-air refuelling aircraft will also touch down in UAE for an exercise while returning from the Red Flag exercise at the Eielson airbase in Alaska (US) being held from April 28 to May 13.
India and Iran are also poised to revive their long-standing defence ties now after international sanctions against Teheran have been lifted. Apart from holding some joint naval exercises in the past, India had even helped the Iranian Navy to upgrade its Russian-origin Kilo-class submarines in the mid-1990s.
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The Indian Air Force reaches Alaska for Red Flag.


Earlier, a great video of 4 IAF Jags taking off from Beja Airbase in Portugal enroute to Alaska
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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Russia, India Agree to Hold Three Large Joint Military Drills in 2016

Russian troops will participate in three large exercises with their Indian colleagues in 2016.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia and India have agreed to hold the Indra-2016 joint military exercises and will decide on their dates in May, the head of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Eastern Military District’s press service said Thursday.

“A joint protocol was signed in Vladivostok on the first planned conference of the Indra-2016 joint exercises,” Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said.

He said consultations would be held in May in India where the dates of the exercises would be specified.

“This year troops from the Eastern Military District plan to participate in three large exercises with the Indian Armed Forces, which include the Indra-Neva-2016 with the Pacific Fleet, AviaIndra-2016 with the participation of the Air Force and air defense systems, and Indra-2016,” Martov added.
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India, Japan, U.S. to hold naval exercises - Dinakar Peri, The Hindu
In a move that is sure to raise eyebrows in Beijing, four Indian warships will join the navies of the United States and Japan in the second half of June for the next edition of Malabar exercises east of Okinawa, a Japanese island.

Last December, India and the U.S announced formal expansion of the bilateral exercises into a trilateral format with the edition of Japan.

Official sources said that two stealth frigates, a guided missile corvette and a fleet replenishment tanker of the Indian Navy would take part in the exercises.

In September 2007, the navies of Australia, Japan and Singapore joined India and the U.S. in the Malabar exercises which forced China to issue a demarche to New Delhi. This is also not the first time these exercises will be held near Okinawa.

Former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash said it showed that India has made up its mind to form some sort of partnership with Japan and the U.S. and termed the exercises an acknowledgement of the “shared security concerns”.

Australia has repeatedly expressed interest in joining Malabar on a permanent basis and the United States had been pushing its inclusion, but India has so far resisted the move so as not to antagonise China.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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Any news on how are we doing in Red Flag ?
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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Official Press Release Red Flag 2016

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease. ... lid=145357
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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vsunder wrote:Official Press Release Red Flag 2016

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease. ... lid=145357
Thank You VSunder ji for that link.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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nits wrote:Any news on how are we doing in Red Flag ?




and 2 IAF C-17s spotted at Montreal's Trudeau International Airport on their way to Alaska to pick up the IAF contingent at the conclusion of Red Flag.

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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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vsunder wrote:Official Press Release Red Flag 2016

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease. ... lid=145357
From the above,
The Su-30s will additionally participate in exercise ‘Desert Eagle II’ with UAE Air Force on their way back.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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^^Get a chance to fly against AESA/IRST equipped F-16 Block 60
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btw, was this our first exercise with F-22's ?
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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Photo-report on Red Flag Alaska.

http://aviationphotodigest.com/red-flag-alaska-16-1/

watch out for the 30 squadron patch :mrgreen:
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After flexing military muscle in Gulf with flotilla, India now conducts air exercises - ToI
In tune with the policy to step up military engagement with countries in the Persian Gulf, the Indian Air Force is now conducting the 'Desert Eagle-II' air combat exercise with its counterpart in the United Arab Emirates.

The IAF has deployed its Sukhoi-30MKI fighters for the exercise at the Al-Dhafra airbase from May 24 to June 3, while the UAE has fielded Mirage-2000s and F-16s. "The exercise is being held with multiple simulated combat scenarios," said an officer. "Such an exercise provides exposure towards mission planning and execution in a simulated high-threat combat environment, apart from building bonhomie with friendly air forces. Exercise Desert Eagle-I was held at the same location in September 2008," he added.


The exercise comes close after defence minister Manohar Parrikar visited Oman and the UAE from May 20 to 23 to bolster bilateral defence cooperation. The flotilla of five Indian warships dispatched to the Persian Gulf earlier this month on a goodwill mission is now on its way back to Mumbai after visiting Dubai (UAE), Manama (Bahrain), Muscat (Oman) and Kuwait, as reported by TOI earlier.

This military diplomacy is in tune with the political one to bolster economic and security bonds with a region that is a big trading partner and a major source of energy for India, apart from being host to around eight million Indian expatriates. PM Narendra Modi recently visited Saudi Arabia, while he had made a trip to the UAE last year.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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Image

http://aviationphotodigest.com/red-flag ... 3x1024.jpg

Seriously??? Horny ones?? :rotfl:

Can someone fix the image..Please
Thanks
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Indian, South Korean coast guards to jointly hold naval exercise - IANS
Chennai: The coast guards of India and South Korea will hold a joint exercise 'Sshyog-Hyeoblyeog-2016' in Bay of Bengal off Chennai from June 8 to 11, said an official statement on Monday.

In a statement issued here, the Indian defence ministry said: "The aim of the exercise is to strengthen the working level relationship between the two coast guards and further refine the joint operating procedures."

Korea Coast Guard ship 3009 will participate in the exercise, whose highlights encompass an anti piracy scenario wherein the hijacked vessel is subsequently rescued in a combined operation of both coast guards, the interdiction of the pirate vessel, a joint boarding operation and other exercises.

In addition, the Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft will be demonstrating their prowess before the Korean delegation.

The exercise would be jointly witnessed by the Indian Coast Guard's Director General Rajendra Singh, and his counterpart, Korea Coast Guard's Commissioner General Hong Ik-tae.

During their stay, the South Korean delegation would be calling on important dignitaries in Chennai.

In addition, a friendly volleyball match between the coast guards will be organised on June 9.

Consequent upon the Indian government's approval to conduct combined exercises between the coast guards of the two nations, an MoU was signed between the coastal security agencies in 2004.

Last year Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarang visited South Korea and now Korean Coast Guard Ship 3009 is visiting India.
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MoUs soon with Sri Lanka, Myanmar: CG chief - The Hindu
The Indian Coast Guard will sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Sri Lanka and Myanmar to conduct joint exercises, its Director General Rajendra Singh said.

Interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of the fifth edition of Indo-Korean joint maritime exercise ‘Sahyog-Hyeoblyeog-2016,’ Mr. Singh said: “We have MoUs with six countries, namely Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Oman and two are in the pipeline with Sri Lanka and Myanmar.”

“During this year’s exercise, we agreed to have points of contact in India and South Korea to share real-time information and anything related to pollution, search and control, piracy and day-to-day information,” Mr. Singh said in the presence of Commissioner General of Korea Coast Guard Hong Ik-Tae.

ICGS Samudra Paheredar , ICGS Sagar , ICGS Rajtarang and ICGS Anagh , besides a fixed-wing Dornier aircraft and a Chetak helicopter, represented the Indian Coast Guard in the exercise. Korea Coast Guard ship 3009 participated in the exercise in the Bay of Bengal off the Chennai coast on Friday.

A mock drill to arrest a ‘pirate’ ship, search and rescue operations, fire fighting and fly past by aircraft were part of the exercise.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

Post by Philip »

Certainly with SL as it would drastically cut down alleged illegal fishing incidents in the Palk Straits. It would better determine who are in the wrong.

The multifarious exercises in the Indo-China region and I trust that the MES starts calling the ASEAN zone as such,as "Indo-China" is the historic name for the nations on the Asian landmass.In fact media reports today have said that huge new cities have been discovered in Cambodia near Angkor Wat,etc.,hich would make them the largest civilization of the world at that time.The Khmer civilization is also entirely Indian in origin, Hindu and Buddhist.

These bi-lateral naval exercises give the IN working experience in alien waters where we may have to in the future spar with the PLAN. Covert cooperation against China is a better option than an overt formal alliance with an anti-China military bloc. China will be unable to brand us as hostile.IN some measure it would resemble the attitude and position of the US before it entered WW2. It had a sympathetic and covert relationship with Britain and the European nations warring with Nazi Germany and even after Pearl Harbour could declare war only against Japan.Adolf Hitler made the monumental mistake of declaring war against America,when there were so many powerful German sympathisers in the US against entering the war and also forgetting the lessons of history in WW1.Here the US entrance proved the turning point just at it did in WW2. If China attacks us however,all bets are off. We would be free to join any anti-China mil alliance should the need arise,which would not affect our long-term relationship with Russia,upon whom wed depend for the majority of our weaponry and political/diplomatic support.

Now that China has sabotaged our NSG membership we should hit back at China in every manner diplomatically,economically and covertly.I suggest an immediate campaign to ban/boycott all Chinese goods and heavy duties which would make them prohibitively expensive.
the remains of the three-tiered temple of Prasat Rong Chen that marks the site where the Khmer Empire was founded in AD 802, when a Brahmin priest declared Jayavarman II universal monarch – just two years after Charlemagne was made Holy Roman Emperor – will be nothing less than dramatic.
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‘Indian Navy is a natural partner of Australia’ - Stanly Johny, The Hindu
There’s immense scope for further deepening naval cooperation between India and Australia, according to Captain Justin Jones, Commander of Royal Australian Navy Ship HMAS Success, which has docked at the Chennai port.

“Indian Navy is a natural partner of Australia… Australia is as much an Indian Ocean power as a Pacific power. Both India and Australia face similar challenges in the Indian Ocean region. Both countries also share close defence ties and share common values,” Captain Jones told The Hindu in an interview on board the ship.


The combat logistics ship arrived here on Monday morning. Following its stay in Chennai, HMAS Success will carry out a passage exercise with ships of the Indian Navy to practice communicating and cooperating with each other at sea.

India and Australia conducted their first joint naval exercise last year in the Bay of Bengal in a sign of growing defence cooperation between the two countries. “The joint bilateral exercise was a natural progression of relations between India and Australia,” said the Captain.

In 2013, at the special invitation of Australia, the Indian Navy had sent its indigenous warship INS Sahyadri to Syndey to participate in the International Fleet Review. The two navies had also worked together in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. Both nations had participated in multilateral drills as well such as the Malabar exercise of 2007.

Asian waters, however, also face competition and tensions as a rising China is becoming more and more assertive on its controversial claims and is attempting to extend its influence across the region. Asked about the maritime disputes in the region in which China is involved, the captain said Australia is “walking a fine line” on such issues.

“China is our most important trading partner. But the U.S. is our strategic and security partner. So we don’t actually have to take sides. Regarding the South China dispute, the Australian position is that the disputes should be resolved in accordance with the international law,” he added. The 30-year-old HMAS Success, which has participated in several combat missions, including the first Gulf War of 1991, is on a four-day goodwill visit to Chennai. During the stay, Captain Jones, along with Australia’s High Commissioner to India Harinder Sidhu, and Consul-General to South India Sean Kelly, will meet with the Mayor of Chennai, Saidai Duraisamy.
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Now, India turns to Russia for mega defence deals - Rajat Pandit, ToI
The fine balance India is trying to strike between the two erstwhile Cold War rivals is also evident in the way the Indian Army will hold combat exercises with US and Russian forces this month.

The 'Yudh Abhyas' exercise between US troops from Fort Louis and Madras Regiment soldiers will be held at Chaubatia in Uttarakhand from September 14 to 27. The 'Indra' exercise between Russian soldiers and Kuma on Regiment troops will be held at Vladivostok from September 22 to October 2.

After Indian, US and Japanese warships conducted the top-notch Malabar exercise off Okinawa in June, India and Russia will hold their Indra naval wargames in the Indian Ocean around December.
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X-posted from the "Managing Chinese Threat" thread
Prem wrote:India, U.S. will hold military exercises near China border
he Armies of India and the United States are all set to flex their muscles close to the India-China land border, just three months after Indian Navy sailed through the South China Sea in an affirmation of freedom of navigation in international waters. A total of 225 US Army soldiers are landing at Chaubuttia in Uttarakhand to start the two-week-long joint exercise called Yudh Abhyas, from 14 September. This is the 12th edition of the India-US joint exercise and the first in an area close to the border with China. “Interconnectivity and interdependence are the new global order, interoperability and jointness as being applied in Exercise Yudh Abhyas 2016 are the new military essentials,” Lt Gen Balwant Singh Negi, GOC in C Central Command, told The Sunday Guardian.India’s military and strategic ties with the United States are growing rapidly. The Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) signed between US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar just a couple of weeks ago was a major step to curb firepower from likely threats. LEMOA has created a formal platform between India and the US to mutually use each other’s military bases and other facilities. With a trilateral joint exercise called Malabar involving Indian, US and Japanese Navies in June this year, India had sent a strong message to China that it would not allow any country to control the South China Sea. Yudh Abhyas is an extension of the same message of freedom from fear of threat by forces inimical to democracy and forces backing terrorism.
Lt Gen Rajan Ravindran, Chief of Staff, HQ Central Command, told this newspaper, “Exercise Yudh Abhyas-2016, the Indo-US joint exercise is a giant step for the armies of two great democratic nations to train and gain from each other’s rich operational experiences.”Yudh Abhyas will be the first India-US exercise after LEMOA came into existence. The Chaubuttia military station near Ranikhet is situated just over 100 km away from the India-China border. Yudh Abhyas will start with the unfurling of the national flags of India and the US, apart from the playing of the two countries’ national anthems, Jana Gana Mana and the Star Spangled Banner, respectively. The US contingent will have soldiers from the 5th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade combat team and 7th Infantry Division of the US Army, while an equal strength of 225 soldiers from the Indian Army will be from the 14th Battalion of the Garhwal Rifles and the 12thBattalion of the Madras Regiment. 14 Garhwal Rifles will engage US Army soldiers in command post exercises and 12 Madras Regiment in field exercises.An official from the US embassy told The Sunday Guardian, “Yudh Abhyas will be an excellent opportunity for US and Indian forces to share tactics, techniques, procedures and operational experiences. Yudh Abhyas is also an opportunity to broaden US-India military cooperation and enhance interoperability. The US side sincerely appreciates the excellent hospitality and amazing logistics support provided by the Indian Army in the lead up to the exercise.”
Yudh Abhyas has been strategically planned by the Ministry of Defence keeping in mind the features of the Line of Control, which India shares with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control, which India shares with China. The exercise will be conducted in the heavily forested areas of Chaubattia, where the heights range from 6,000 feet to 8,000 feet. The exercise will begin with a difficult march of approximately 6 km with complete battle loads of almost 30 kg on each soldier. Then the soldiers of both the Armies will familiarise themselves with each other’s organisational structures, weapons and tactical drills. To simulate a counter insurgency and counter terrorism environment, the tactical part of the exercise will include “raid, cordon and search” operations, with the emphasis on using state of the art equipment for surveillance, tracking and identification of terrorists, using specialist weapons, sensing and neutralising IEDs and establishing effective communications.. However, authoritative sources said that “There is no question of China being the focus, it is only because of geographical features and logistics that the region around Ranikhet was chosen for this long-planned exercise.” They add that “It is the policy of both the US and India to seek to have a friendly and cooperative relationship with a major trading partner, China. :mrgreen:
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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After LEMOA, it’s war games now - Dinakar Peri, The Hindu
As Indian and U.S. troops began to assemble for counter-terrorism exercises in the hills of Uttarakhand, senior officials said they would soon discuss ways to enhance the scope and scale of exercises in tune with the deepening military cooperation.

The bilateral exercise, beginning on Wednesday, also comes against the backdrop of Pakistani media reports that Pakistan and Russia will hold their first ever joint military exercise later this year. Possible sale of Russian military hardware to Islamabad is on the cards.

Separately, China and Russia began naval war games on Monday in the contested waters of the South China Sea, where India had joined the chorus for enforcing “freedom of navigation” and “open sea lanes of communication.”

The 12th edition of the annual bilateral exercise “Yudh Abhyas”, one of the longest running joint military training exercises, will take place at Chaubattia in Uttarakhand, close to the border with China, from September 14 to 27 . The exercise is hosted alternately by both countries.

While this is not the first time it is happening at this location, this is the first military exercise after the two countries had formally signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Understanding (LEMOA).

This means that accounting and book-keeping for this exercise will be done under the arrangement which does away with the need for settling bills and payments every time. They will be recorded and cleared every three months.


Company-level efforts

Officials said that currently the exercise is at a company level, comprising 225 soldiers from each side, with Brigade headquarter elements incorporated and plans are on to enhance the scope and scale to brigade level with Division level elements added on.

“This will be deliberated in detail during the upcoming exercise,” one official told The Hindu . Presently bilateral exercises with China, Russia and the U.S. are all at a company level. “If enhanced, it will be the largest military exercise India undertakes with any country,” the official added.

In response to questions a U.S. Embassy spokesperson observed that Yudh Abhyas will be an excellent opportunity for U.S. and Indian forces to share tactics, techniques, procedures and operational experiences. “It is also an opportunity to broaden India-U.S. military cooperation and enhance interoperability.”

The combined exercise Yudh Abhyas 2016 will simulate a scenario where both nations are working together in a Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism (CICT) environment in mountainous terrain under a United Nations (UN) charter, the Army said in a statement.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

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India, US plan to upgrade their already intensive military combat exercises - Economic Times
India and the US are planning to go in for a major upgrade of their bilateral combat exercises after inking the military logistics pact+ last month in tune with their "joint strategic vision" for the Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region.

Defence ministry sources say the aim is to "further increase the scope and complexity" of bilateral military exercises and engagements "across the board", which will now be facilitated by the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA)
inked during defence minister Manohar Parrikar's visit to the US on August 29-30.

India, of course, is willing to further tighten the strategic clinch with the US, which has already bagged Indian defence contracts+ worth $15 billion just since 2007.

But New Delhi remains reluctant to join any formal tri-lateral or quadrilateral security axis to counter China in the Asia Pacific or act as a "linchpin" in the ongoing "re-balance" of US military forces to the region.

"But we can learn a lot from the high-tech US armed forces in the exercises, ranging from complex mission planning and execution to operating in an increasingly digitised warfare environment. Conversely, they can learn from our battle and insurgency-hardened forces. LEMOA will further boost the interoperability," said an official.

After the upgrade in the annual top-notch Malabar naval war-games+ between India and the US, with Japan becoming a regular participant, for instance, the two countries are now kicking-off Navy-to-Navy discussions on anti-submarine warfare and submarine safety as well as a maritime security dialogue. Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, incidentally, is currently in the US for a sea power symposium.

While infantry soldiers and Stryker combat teams from Fort Louis in the US are taking part in the exercise, India has fielded troops from the 12 Madras Regiment. Though the main focus is on counter-terrorism drills involving "a combined deployment at a brigade-level", deliberations are also slated on "air-ground integration, combined arms maneuver and targeting processes".

Similarly, the IAF is also going to step up its engagement with the USAF
after taking part in the iconic Red Flag exercise at Alaska in April-May with eight Sukhoi-30MKI and Jaguar fighters, two IL-78 mid-air refuellers and two C-17 Globemaster-III strategic-lift aircraft.

Interestingly, at a time when the first-ever military exercise between Russia and Pakistan is creating waves in the region, around 250 Indian troops from the Kumaon Regiment are also now taking part in the Indra exercise with the Russian 50th Motorized Infantry Brigade at the Ussiriysk district of Vladivostok.

Though Russia has been India's long-standing defence supplier since the 1960s, the militaries from the two countries have not exercised with the same intensity as witnessed in the flurry of drills between India and the US over the last decade.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

Post by Austin »

INDRA-2016 India-Russia joint military exercise

http://in.rbth.com/multimedia/pictures/ ... ise_635251


The exercises serve to facilitate cooperation and foster the exchange of relevant experience between the Indian and Russian armed forces.

By Boris Egorov, RIR

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Russia and India are holding INDRA drills since 2003.

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India-Russia joint drills INDRA-2016 took place in the Ussiriysk District in Vladivostok, Russia.

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The exercises were held on September 23 - October 2.

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Over 500 servicemen, 50 units of equipment, a group of UAVs, and assault and army aviation took part in the drills.

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Troops of both countries got the chance to practice working with each other over the course of eleven days.

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250 soldiers of the Kumaon Regiment represented the Indian Contingent.

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The Russian Armed Forces were represented by 250 soldiers from the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade.

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Main focus of the drill was on counter-terrorism operations in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain under United Nations mandate.

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Two mechanized infantry companies, a tank company, howitzer, self-propelled artillery and rocket batteries; a flamethrower squad took part in the drills.

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Military personnel used Russia's Orlan-10 drone to strike simulated terrorist groups.

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Russia and India have maintained a close partnership in military and technical cooperation for decades.

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The exercises serve to facilitate cooperation and foster the exchange of relevant experience between the Indian and Russian armed forces

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Next INDRA joint drills to be held in 2017.
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X-post from China Threat thread

India continues to boost military ties with China - Rajat Pandit, ToI
India continues to slowly but steadily build military-to-military ties with China, even as it keeps its armed forces on high operational readiness along the western front with Pakistan for any contingency after the cross-border surgical strikes of September 29.

India and China, after holding their first-ever joint tactical exercises in eastern Ladakh and Sikkim along the disputed 4,057-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) earlier this year, are now getting set for their annual 'Hand-in-Hand' (HiH) combat exercise at Aundh, near Pune in Maharashtra, from November 15 to 27.

Sources said the sixth edition of the HiH exercise, which has emerged as a major confidence-building measure between the world's largest and second-largest standing armies, will see participation from over 170 troops from the recently-upgraded Tibet Military Command of People's Liberation Army.

Armed with weaponry ranging from 12.7mm anti-material rifles and flame-throwers to "corner-shooting systems" and laser-blinding devices, the PLA troops will practice counter-terrorism drills with Maratha Light Infantry soldiers equipped with their own specialised weapons.

The exercise will also focus on "trans-national terrorism" {but, China will not sanction any terrorists against India operating from Pakistan !}, with China grappling with the expanding influence of jihadist group Islamic State in Xinjiang, as India deals with cross-border militancy actively fuelled by Pakistan.


China has long used Pakistan to bog India down in south Asia. Apart from the stark military asymmetry, India remains worried about China's major upgrade of military infrastructure all along the LAC as well as the PLA's expanding footprint in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. To make matters worse, China has also blocked India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, as also the designation of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN.

But brushing aside such irritants, India is stepping up its defence ties with China with more military exercises, top-level visits, hotlines and other CBMs, while also boosting its military deterrence along the LoC, as earlier reported by TOI.

While the LoC with Pakistan remains volatile with almost daily exchanges of fire, the LAC has not seen a single shot being fired for decades. There has also been a slight decline in troop face-offs between India and China after the two inked the border defence cooperation agreement in October 2013. But "transgressions" across the LAC - military euphemism for troop incursions -- continue unabated with over 200 such incidents being recorded this year.

The first two editions of the HiH exercises were held at Kunming (China) in 2007 and Belgaum in 2008 but were then frozen after diplomatic spats over visa and other issues in 2009-2010. After being revived in 2013, with the third edition being held at Miaoergang in China, the exercise has now become a regular feature.
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Re: India-China HADR Exercise in Ladakh

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In a first, India and China hold joint Army exercise in J&K - PTI
In a first, India and China on Wednesday carried out a joint army exercise in eastern Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, a move that comes amid hectic diplomatic manoeuvring between the two countries over a host of issues like Nuclear Suppliers Group+ and designation of Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN+ .

During the day long exercise on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) a fictitious situation of earthquake striking an Indian Border village was painted. Thereafter joint teams carried out rescue operations, evacuation and rendering of medical assistance.

This was done as a sequel to the first Joint Exercise held on February 6 in the area of Border Personnel Meeting Hut at Chushul Garrison of Eastern Ladakh, along with Chinese troops of Moldo Garrison.

Sources said that in February, the exercise was held in the Chinese side and this time in the Indian side along the line of Actual Control.

The Indian team for the exercise was led by Brigadier R S Raman and that of the Chinese was led by Sr Col Fan Jun.

The exercise was a great success and has not only refined the drills to provide succour to the border population in case of natural calamity but has also increased the level of trust and cooperation between the two border guarding forces along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, the Army said in a statement here.

The joint exercise, compliments the Hand in Hand series of the India-China joint exercises and the effort of both the nations to enhance cooperation and maintain peace and tranquillity+ along the border areas of India and China, it said.
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Army wins gold medal in contest in Wales - The Hindu
The team of 2/8 Gorkha Rifles of the Army bagged the gold medal in the Cambrian Patrol Competition in Wales, U.K. The competition saw 121 teams, including 40 international teams, converging on the harsh mountains of Wales to square off over 72 hours, during which they are put through a challenging set of tactical problems. This year’s exercise ended on Sunday.

“Not making the task any easy is the extreme climatic conditions that have to be endured,” says an Army statement.
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Post by wig »

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation ... 15875.html

India-Russia military bond to mirror ‘past'
Indicating a shift from public perception of having turned pro-US, New Delhi has told Moscow it will remain its “foremost” defence partner and has shared a future vision of a relationship that could very well mirror the “past”.
At a meeting between Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and his Russian counterpart General Sergey Shoigu here yesterday, New Delhi proposed a greater military-to-military contact and setting up of Indo-Russia joint ventures in producing spares for military equipment. “Military contact and not trade will be the guiding force in the Indo-Russian ties,” a source said.
New Delhi in its internal assessment has decided to “recapture the dynamism of the military-to-military interaction as it was earlier” — the days of the erstwhile Soviet Union (it disintegrated in 1991) when Indian officers, troops, sailors and pilots frequently trained with the Russians.
However, this does not mean India would return to the Cold War-era (1945-1991) relationship when it was “seen” in the Soviet bloc despite its non-aligned status.
“We have told the visiting Russian delegation, let’s focus on increasing our relationship higher. The India-Russia relationship is massive and should not be seen through the India-US relationship. Both are separate and will grow separately,” a source told The Tribune, adding the Russian delegation did not raise the issue of the logistics supply agreement inked between India-US some two months ago.
A “non-paper” — diplomatic word for informal suggestions put in written format — was exchanged with the Russian delegation yesterday and it suggests a greater complexity of military exercises; an increased frequency in exercises and institutionalised interaction at all senior levels of the two militaries.
The existing 16-year-old annual “military-technical” agenda shall have an additional aspect to it i.e. “military-cooperation”, sources said. More than 70 per cent of the Indian military equipment is of Soviet/Russian origin, including the sea-borne aircraft carrier, nuclear-powered submarine INS Chakra, BrahMos missiles, Mi-17 helicopters, Sukhoi-30 fighter jets, among others.
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Re: Joint Military Exercises News & Discussion

Post by BajKhedawal »

SSridhar wrote:Army wins gold medal in contest in Wales - The Hindu
The team of 2/8 Gorkha Rifles of the Army bagged the gold medal in the Cambrian Patrol Competition in Wales, U.K. The competition saw 121 teams, including 40 international teams, converging on the harsh mountains of Wales to square off over 72 hours, during which they are put through a challenging set of tactical problems. This year’s exercise ended on Sunday.

“Not making the task any easy is the extreme climatic conditions that have to be endured,” says an Army statement.
Until I checked the link I thought this was from last year. How long have we been winning this one for?
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Singapore Navy’s stealth frigate comes calling at Visakhapatnam - The Hindu
The Singaporean Navy’s stealth frigate RSS Formidable on Sunday arrived at Visakhapatnam on a five-day visit to Eastern Naval Command (ENC) as a part of the ongoing Singapore-India maritime bilateral exercises.

The two Navies share a long-standing relationship with regular professional interactions which include exchange programmes, staff talks and training courses.

Bilateral cooperation between Singapore and India was first formalised when the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) ships began training with Indian Navy in 1994 and this year’s edition, SIMBEX-16, is being held in the Bay of Bengal region, an official release said.

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Khoo Aik Leong Albert, RSS Formidable is the first of the six multi-role stealth frigates which forms part of the 185 Squadron based at Changi, the release added.

A senior Singapore Navy delegation, headed by Colonel Aaron Beng, Commanding Officer, 185 Squadron, the RSN is also visiting ENC during the period, it said, adding that the visit will encompass interaction between the personnel of both the navies in various professional, cultural, social and sports events.

During the visit, Colonel Aaron Beng, Commanding Officer (CO), 185 Squadron of Republic of Singapore Navy, along with Lt Colonel Khoo Aik Leong Albert, CO, RSS Formidable, will call on Vice Admiral H.C.S. Bisht, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, ENC and Rear Admiral B. Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet, the release said.

The 23rd such exercise in the series is aimed at increasing interoperability between the RSN and the Indian Navy as well as at developing common understanding and procedures for maritime security operations, it added.

The exercise would include wide-ranging professional interactions during the Harbour Phase, scheduled from October 31 to November 2, and a diverse range of operational activities at sea during the Sea Phase, to be held from November 3-5, according to the release.

Anti-submarine warfare

The thrust of the exercises at sea this year would be on anti-submarine warfare (ASW), integrated operations with surface, air and sub-surface forces, air defence and surface encounter exercises, it said.

During SIMBEX-16, the Singapore Navy will be represented by RSS Formidable and maritime patrol aircraft Fokker 50, operating from Port Blair.

The Indian Navy will be represented by INS Ranvijay, a guided missile destroyer, INS Kamorta, an indigenous ASW stealth corvette, one Sindhughosh-class submarine, in addition to long range maritime patrol aircraft P8I, maritime patrol aircraft Dornier, advanced jet trainer Hawk and integral rotary wing helicopters are also scheduled to participate in the exercise
, the release added.

In February, Singapore Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Lai Chung Han visited ENC and participated in IFR-16, held in Visakhapatnam, it said. — PTI
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http://www.army.mod.uk/news/28654.aspx

British army Raksha Bandhan event
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India, Bangladesh joint exercise from tomorrow - Haroon Habib, The Hindu
Bangladesh and India will hold a 14-day joint military exercise, code-named “Sampriti-7”, from Saturday to practise counter-terrorism and disaster-management operations.

The bilateral defence cooperation endeavour, hosted alternately by both countries, is into its seventh edition, an inter-services press release said here on Thursday.

The exercise will be held at Shaheed Salauddin Cantonment in Bangladesh’s Ghatail, Tangail, when the two neighbours will engage each other in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations.

The joint exercise will simulate a scenario where both nations are working together in a counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism environment under the U.N. Charter.

An Indian Army release said personnel from both countries would be “familiarised” with each other’s organisational structure and tactical drills.

The first exercise in this series was held at Jorhat in Assam in 2010.
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