India’s military diplomacy has intensified with a series of back-to-back military exercises involving various countries and all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces.
Upcoming Exercises and Current Activities
India-U.S. Army Exercise Yudh Abhyas
Scheduled to begin at the Mahajan field firing ranges in Rajasthan on Monday.
Indian Air Force’s Tarang Shakti Exercise
Phase-II of this exercise is currently ongoing at Jodhpur.
Involves eight countries including India and 17 countries as observers.
Features the A-10 Thunderbolt II and F-16 jets from the U.S., marking their first flight over Indian airspace.
Other participating countries include Australia, Greece, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the UAE.
Bangladesh was scheduled to deploy a C-130 transport aircraft but withdrew due to recent domestic developments.
Specific Highlights of Tarang Shakti
The A-10 Thunderbolt II and C-17 Globemaster III from the U.S. showcased their capabilities in India.
The U.S. Pacific Air Forces announced these details on the social media site X.
Upcoming Naval Exercise
Malabar Naval Exercise
Scheduled for the first half of October off the Visakhapatnam coast.
Involves India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S..
Indian Army Engagements
Bilateral Exercise Indra
An Indian Army mechanized infantry contingent will travel to Russia for this exercise.
Yudh Abhyas Details
This year’s Yudh Abhyas will feature a significant U.S. contingent with around 600 personnel.
The U.S. Army will deploy:
Stryker infantry vehicles
M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System)
The Stryker vehicles are currently being tested by the Indian Army, with plans for procurement, including variants mounted with Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).
Talks for the license-manufacture of these vehicles are in the early stages.
7. Previous Interactions and Evaluations
The U.S. has previously demonstrated both Stryker vehicles and Javelin ATGMs to the Indian Army during bilateral exercises.
Although the Javelin ATGM was extensively evaluated, the deal did not materialize.
India conducts more military exercises with the U.S. than with any other country.
Other Major Engagements
Mitra Shakti Exercise
The 10th edition was held from August 12-25 at the Army Training School, Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka.
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