India-Mongolia joint military exercise 'Nomadic Elephant' begins

The 16th edition of 'Nomadic Elephant' will be participated by Indian Army personnel from the Sikkim Scouts and other arms and services, while the Mongolian contingent will be represented by its army's 150th Quick Reaction Force Battalion, a defence release said.

Guwahati: A 14-day joint military exercise between the armies of India and Mongolia began at the Foreign Training Node in Meghalaya's Umroi on Wednesday, a defence release said.

The 16th edition of "Nomadic Elephant" will be participated by Indian Army personnel from the Sikkim Scouts and other arms and services, while the Mongolian contingent will be represented by its army's 150th Quick Reaction Force Battalion, it said.

The annual training exercise, aimed at boosting joint military capabilities of both the armed forces to conduct counter-insurgency operations, is conducted alternately between the two countries, with the previous edition held in Mongolia in July 2023.

The opening ceremony of the exercise was attended by Mongolia's ambassador to India, Dambajavyn Ganbold, and Major General Prasanna Joshi, General Officer Commanding 51 Sub Area of the Indian Army.

The exercise will focus on operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain.

Tactical drills during the exercise include response to a terrorist action, establishment of a joint command post, establishment of an intelligence and surveillance centre, securing of a helipad or landing site, small team insertion and extraction, special heliborne operations, cordon-search operations besides employment of drones and counter-drone systems, among others.

Mongolia's Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces, Major General Gyanbyamba Sunrev, is scheduled to attend the closing ceremony on July 16, along with Indian Army's General Officer Commanding 33 Corps Lieutenant General Zubin A Minwalla.

The exercise will also facilitate developing bonhomie and camaraderie between the two armies along with enhancing the level of defence cooperation and further augmenting bilateral relations between the two friendly nations, the release added.