India, China, Pakistan to participate in 8-nation SCO exercise in Russia

New Delhi: Amidst the disengagement from Gogra heights in the eastern Ladakh, troops of India and China along with Pakistan will participate in a 8-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) exercise in Urals’ Donguzsky training ground in Russia, beginning September 11. 

As reported earlier by Asianet Newsable, three exercises are scheduled in Russia, wherein Indian Army is participating. Currently, the troops of India and Russia are honing their skills in a joint exercise INDRA-2021 at Prudboy Ranges in Volgograd. The exercise will culminate on August 14. 

Besides INDRA exercise, the Indian Army will be participating in other two exercise, include Zapad-2021 and SCO exercise. 

Named as, the ‘Peace Mission-2021’, the SCO wargame is an anti-insurgents and anti-terrorist exercise of the member states of SCO. 

The member countries, include Russia, India, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan while Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia are the Observer Nations whereas Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey are the Dialogue Partners.

The joint exercise is said to be strengthening the mutual confidence, interoperability and also share the best practices they have among each other.

India and Pakistan joined the SCO as full members at Astana in Kazakhstan in 2017. Set up in 2001,  this was the first-ever expansion of the organisation since its formation. 

In 2020, India did not participate in the exercise, citing the rising cases of coronavirus. But the experts are of the opine that the simmering border standoff with China at multiple locations in the eastern Ladakh — which subsequently led to violent clash between two forces in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020 and continuous violations of ceasefire agreement by Pakistan, were the reasons for non-participation. 

The exercise will conclude on September 25. 

Zapad-2021

Prior to SCI exercise, the troops of India, Pakistan and China will be the part of Russia-host multination Zapad-2021 exercise, commencing from September 3.

In this exercise, the troops of 17 countries will be participating to know and share their best military practices. 

The countries invited are India, China, Pakistan, Armenia, Belarus, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Serbia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. 

The 14-day-long exercise is scheduled to take place at Mulino Training Ground in Nizhniy, which is 423 km east of Moscow. 

Zapad-2021 is a part of the annual series of large scale exercises that serve as a capstone to the Russian Armed Forces annual training cycle. 

The series rotates through four main Russian strategic Commands, including Zapad (West), Vostok (East), Tsentr (Center) and Kavkaz (Caucasus). 

These exercises are a means of gauging battle-readiness in each of Russia's four military districts.

In 2019, the Indian Army had participated in Exercise Tsentr with a strength of 140 personnel while stayed away from the 2020 Kavkaz exercise, citing the Covid-19 pandemic.

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• China
• INDRA exercise
• India
• Pakistan
• Russia
• SCO exercise
• Zapad-2021
• naval exercise
• Indian Army