In the last few months, India’s military diplomacy is at a hectic pace with back-to-back military exercises from countries far and wide for all three Services. India-U.S. bilateral Army exercise Yudh Abhyas is set to commence at the Mahajan field firing ranges in Rajasthan on Monday (September 9, 2024). Not far away, Phase-II of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) largest multilateral exercise Tarang Shakti is underway at Jodhpur with eight countries, including India participating with aircraft and 17 countries as observers.
The iconic A-10 Thunderbird close air support aircraft are flying over Indian air space for the first time as the U.S. has deployed them for the exercise along with F-16 jets. The countries deploying aircraft include Australia, Greece, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, UAE and the U.S., Bangladesh, which was scheduled to deploy a C-130 transport aircraft, has dropped out in the backdrop of recent domestic developments.
“Tarang Shakti: A force for unity! The 25th Fighter Squadron’s A-10 Thunderbolt II and a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord showcased their capabilities in India,” the U.S. Pacific Air Forces headquartered in Hawaii said on social media ‘X’.
The Malabar naval exercise comprising India, Australia, Japan and the U.S. is scheduled to be held off the Visakhapatnam coast in the first half of October. Shortly after that, an Indian Army mechanised infantry contingent will head to Russia for bilateral exercise Indra.
Largest U.S. contingent
This year’s Yudh Abhyas is going to feature one of the largest U.S. contingent at the exercise with around 600 personnel and the U.S. Army also set to deploy Stryker infantry vehicles and the M142 HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System). Incidentally, the Stryker vehicles are currently being put to test by the Indian Army in various conditions, and a few hundred vehicles of different variants are likely to be procured, including some mounted with the javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM).
The talks for licence manufacture of the vehicles are in “relatively” early stages, officials said. The U.S. has in the past demonstrated both the Stryker as well as the Javelin ATGM to the Indian Army during bilateral exercises and the Javelin was extensively evaluated by the Indian Army though the deal did eventually fell through. Presently, India conducts more military exercises with the United States than with any other country.
The Army’s other major engagements include the 10th edition of the bilateral exercise Mitra Shakti with Sri Lanka held from August 12-25 at Army Training School, Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka. Further, the Indian Army deployed a contingent of 40 personnel for the 21st edition of multinational peacekeeping exercise Khaan Quest hosted by Mongolia from July 27 to August 9. The exercise had around 430 participants from 23 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Türkiye, the U.S. and the U.K. among others.
The Indian Navy has been busy building bridges of friendship at sea. Russian naval ships Varyag and Marshal Shaposhnikov visited Kochi from August 6-9. At the same time, the Phase-I of exercise Tarang Shakti was held at Sulur from August 6-14 which saw participation of Germany, France, Spain and the U.K. Each phase of Tarang Shakti has participation of 70-80 air assets, both IAF and participating forces. Phase-II is under way at Jodhpur from September 1 to 14.
The Commander-in-Chief of Russian Navy, Admiral Aleksandr Alekseyevich Moiseyev, was on an official visit to India from August 19 to 22. Around that period, the Commander of Brazilian Navy, Admiral Marcos Sampaio Olsen, also visited India from August 19 to 24.
Indian Naval Ship Shivalik completed participation in exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) hosted by the U.S. Navy at Guam held from June 27 to August 1. The Shivalik mission deployed to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean joined RIMPAC after taking part in a series of engagements. Shortly after that, the Indian Navy’s frontline stealth frigate, INS Tabar commanded by Captain M. R. Harish was in Toulon, France from August 29 to September 1 and on departure participated in the 22nd edition of India-France bilateral Exercise Varuna from September 2 to 4 in the Mediterranean Sea. INS Tabar has been on a long deployment to Africa and Europe and has made a series of port calls in the last few weeks before visiting France.
The Indian Navy also deployed a P-8I long range maritime patrol aircraft for exercise Varuna, which, it said, was its first-ever deployment in Europe. “This deployment comes 63 years after the Indian Navy’s Alizé aircraft, operating from the erstwhile INS Vikrant, last flew at the Hyères Airbase,” the Navy said as the P-8I touched down at Air Base 125 Istres-Le Tubé, France.
Before Tarang Shakti commenced, the IAF took part in exercise Pitch Black hosted by Australia from July 12 to August 2 and also in exercise Red Flag hosted by the U.S. in June, both multilateral exercises. These are some of the major war games that Indian military was engaged in.
Published – September 08, 2024 08:04 pm IST
