New Delhi: India and Kazakhstan are going to do a joint military exercise which will include counter-terrorism operations, drills of raids, search and destroy operations.
The Ministry of Defence said that the Indian Army and Air Force contingent comprising 120 personnel departed for Kazakhstan on Sunday. The contingent will take part in the 7th edition of Joint Military ‘Exercise KAZIND-2023’.
The India-Kazakhstan joint military exercise will be conducted at Otar, Kazakhstan from October 30 to November 11, the official at the Ministry of Defence added.
Indian Army contingent comprises 90 personnel led by a Battalion from the Dogra Regiment. The Kazakhstan contingent is mainly represented by personnel from Regional Command South of Kazakh Ground Forces. Thirty personnel of the Air Force from both sides will also participate in the current edition of the Exercise alongside the Army contingents, the official added.
The Joint Exercise between India and Kazakhstan was instituted as ‘Exercise PRABAL DOSTYK’ in 2016. After the second edition, the Exercise was upgraded to a company-level exercise and renamed as ‘Exercise KAZIND’. The exercise has been further upgraded as a Bi-service exercise this year by including the Air Force component.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that in this edition of the exercise, both sides will practice conduct of counter-terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under United Nations mandate. The contingents will jointly rehearse various tactical drills to include raid, search and destroy operations, small team insertion and extraction operations, etc. The scope of the exercise also includes the conduct of Counter Unmanned Aerial System Operations.
‘Exercise KAZIND-2023’ will provide an opportunity for both sides to gain an insight into the tactics, battle drills and procedures of each other, which is a prerequisite while operating under the ambit of the United Nations. The joint training will develop the necessary skills, resilience and coordination to conduct joint military operations in Semi-Urban and Urban environments, the official added.
According to the MoD, both sides will get a chance to practice drills on a wide spectrum of combat skills and mutually learn from each other. The exercise will provide an opportunity for the contingents to exchange views and share the best practices. ‘Exercise KAZIND-2023’ will further strengthen the bond between the two armies.
IANS