India, Mongolia commence 16th 'Nomadic Elephant' joint military exercise in Meghalaya

Mongolian Ambassador to India Dambajavyn Ganbold and 51 Sub Area of the Indian Army's General Officer Commanding Major General Prasanna Joshi witnessed the opening ceremony of the exercise.

Anish Kumar

First Published Jul 3, 2024, 4:35 PM IST | Last Updated Jul 3, 2024, 4:34 PM IST

The troops of India and Mongolia began their 16th edition of joint military Exercise "Nomadic Elephant" on Wednesday, at Foreign Training Node, Umroi in Meghalaya.

The two-week-long military exercise will see participation of 45 personnel from Indian Army's Sikkim Scouts and 150 Quick Reaction Force Battalion from the Mangolian Army. Personnel from other arms and services of the Indian Army will also be participating in the joint exercise.

Nomadic Elephant exercise is an annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Mongolia. The previous edition was held in Mongolia in July 2023.

Mongolian Ambassador to India Dambajavyn Ganbold and 51 Sub Area of the Indian Army's General Officer Commanding Major General Prasanna Joshi witnessed the opening ceremony of the exercise.

The aim of the joint military training is to enhance the capability of both sides to undertake counter insurgency operations in a Sub Conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate.

"The exercise will focus on operations in the semi-urban and mountainous terrain," an official said.

Tactical drills during the Exercise include Response to a Terrorist Action, Establishment of a Joint Command Post, Establishment of an Intelligence & Surveillance Centre, Securing of a Helipad/ Landing Site, Small Team Insertion & Extraction, Special Heliborne Operations, Cordon & Search Operations besides Employment of Drones and Counter Drone Systems amongst others.

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

"The exercise will enable both sides to share their best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures of conducting joint operations," Guwahati-based defence PRO Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said.

"The exercise will also facilitate developing inter-operability, bonhomie and camaraderie between the two armies. This will also enhance the level of defence cooperation, further augmenting bilateral relations between the two friendly nations," he added.

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