India, UAE's 1st joint military exercise 'Desert Cyclone' to kick off on Jan 2 in Rajasthan

The inaugural edition of joint military exercise "Desert Cyclone 2024" will kick off on January 2, marking a significant milestone in the strategic partnership between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

The Armies of India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence their joint military exercise “Desert Cyclone” 2024 from January 2 in Rajasthan. Considered as a significant milestone in the strategic partnership between India and the UAE, the two-week-long exercise will focus on enhancing interoperability and honing best skills in Urban Operations. The exercise will conclude on January 15.

“The Inaugural edition of Joint Military Exercise #DesertCyclone, between #India & #UAE, will be conducted from 02 Jan to 15 Jan 2024 in #Rajasthan. The exercise aims to enhance interoperability by learning & sharing best practices in Urban Operations,” the Indian Army said in a post on X.

The military exercises with friendly foreign countries have led in constructive engagements in operational terms and also enhance the skills of armed forces in diverse areas of war-fighting.

Earlier this year, the Navies of two countries had also conducted maritime exercise “Zayed Talwar” to enhance interoperability and synergy among themselves. 

In the exercise, Indian Navy had deployed its two warships — INS Visakhapatnam, and INS Trikand, under the command of Rear Admiral Vineet McCarty, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF).

It should be noted that New Delhi and Abu Dhabi established diplomatic relations in 1972 and UAE opened its Embassy in Delhi in 1972 whereas, India opened its Embassy in Abu Dhabi in 1973.