India News | India-Uzbekistan Joint Military Exercise 'DUSTLIK-VI' Gets Underway in Pune
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. A joint exercise between the militaries of India and Uzbekistan aimed at developing interoperability and responding to terrorist action involving the capture of a defined territory got underway in Pune on Wednesday, officials said.
New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) A joint exercise between the militaries of India and Uzbekistan aimed at developing interoperability and responding to terrorist action involving the capture of a defined territory got underway in Pune on Wednesday, officials said.
The sixth edition of India-Uzbekistan Joint Military Exercise 'DUSTLIK-VI' will be held from April 16-28 at the Foreign Training Node, Aundh in Maharashtra's Pune, they said.
The Indian contingent, comprising 60 personnel, is being represented by a battalion of the Jat regiment and the Indian Air Force.
The Uzbek contingent is being represented by personnel from the Uzbekistan Army.
Joint exercise 'DUSTLIK-VI' is an annual training event conducted in India and Uzbekistan alternately. The last edition was conducted in Termez District, Uzbekistan, in April 2024.
"The theme of the exercise will be based on the joint multi-domain sub-conventional operations in a semi-urban scenario. It will focus on responding to a terrorist action involving the capture of a defined territory," the Indian defence ministry said in a statement.
"It will also include the establishment of a 'Joint Operations Centre' at the battalion level for continuous joint operations, the execution of counterterrorism missions such as population control measures, raids, search-and-destroy operations, and the employment of firepower, including air assets, to neutralise terrorists," it said.
Special forces from the Army and the Air Force, during the exercise, will secure a helipad for use as a mounting base for further operations, officials said.
"The exercise will also cover the deployment of drones, counter-UAS measures, and logistics support by the Air Force to sustain forces in hostile areas. Additionally, helicopters will be utilised for reconnaissance and observation, special heliborne operations (SHBO), small team insertion and extraction (STIE) and other associated missions," the ministry said.
Joint exercise 'DUSTLIK-VI' will enable both sides to share best practices in 'Tactics, Techniques and Procedures' (TTPs) of conducting 'Joint Sub Conventional' operations. It will facilitate developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between the two armies, officials said.
It will also enhance defence cooperation, further augmenting bilateral relations between the two friendly nations, they said.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)