The continuous military exercise between the three nations has developed trust and has brought maturity to the relations, the Army said…reports Asian Lite News
In its bid to bolster military ties, Indian Army soldiers are scheduled to hold exercises with the Army personnel of Oman and Vietnam, the two countries which are strategically significant for India.
As per the Indian Army 4th edition of the exercise AL Najah with the Royal Army of Oman will be held at the foreign training node of Mahajan Field Firing ranges (Rajasthan) from 1 to 13 August in which 60 personnel from Sultan of Oman Parachute Regiment will hold exercise with Indian troops from 18 Mechanised Infantry Battalion.
The Indian Army said, “The scope of the exercise includes professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills & procedures, the establishment of joint command & control structures and elimination of terrorist threats. The joint exercise would focus on Counter Terrorism Operations, Regional Security Operations and Peace Keeping Operations under United Nations charter apart from organising joint physical training schedules, tactical drills, techniques and procedures.”
The exercise aims to enhance defence cooperation and will further manifest in enhancing bilateral relations, added the Indian Army.
These exercises with the two countries will add to the existing strong defence ties.
The Sultanate of Oman is a strategic partner of India in the Gulf and an important interlocutor at the Gulf Cooperation Council (AGCC), the Arab League, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) fora.
India-Oman Defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The other exercise is with Vietnam which “is an important partner in India’s Act East policy and Indo-Pacific policy”, the Army said.
The 3rd edition of Vietnam-India bilateral army exercise “Vinbax 2022” at Chandimandir will be held from 1 to 20 August.
A 45-member Vietnam People’s Army Contingent comprising Medical and Combat Engineers are scheduled to exercise with Indian Army troops of the 105 Engineer Regiment.
As per sources, “The theme this year is deployment and employment of an engineering company and a medical team as part of UN Contingent for peacekeeping operations”.
The exercise is a sequel to a previously conducted bilateral exercise in Vietnam in 2019 and will be a major milestone in strengthening bilateral relations, the sources added.
In June, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang in Hanoi had signed the Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’, which will significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation. A Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Logistics Support was also inked in the presence of both the Ministers.
The continuous military exercise between the three nations has developed trust and has brought maturity to the relations, the Army said.
Oman provides operational support to the Indian Navy for anti-piracy missions in the Arabian Sea. India had access to the Duqm port in Oman, which strengthened India’s capability and maritime strategy in the Indian Ocean Region.
According to the Ministry, the Royal Army of Oman contingent comprising 60 personnel from the Sultan of Oman Parachute Regiment have arrived at the exercise location.
The scope of the exercise includes professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills & procedures, establishment of joint command & control structures and elimination of terrorist threats.
The joint exercise would focus on Counter Terrorism Operations, Regional Security Operations and Peace Keeping Operations under United Nations charter apart from organising joint physical training schedules, tactical drills, techniques and procedures, the Ministry of Defence said.
A comprehensive training programme to culminate in a 48 hours long validation exercise involving establishing of joint mobile vehicle check posts, joint cordon and search operations followed by joint room intervention drills in a built-up area has been worked out, the Ministry added.
The joint military exercise aims to enhance the level of defence co-operation between Indian Army and Royal Army of Oman and will further manifest in enhancing the bilateral relations between the two nations
The previous edition of Ex AL NAJAH IV was organised at Muscat from 12 to March 25, 2019.
The exercise with Vietnam a sequel to previously conducted bilateral exercise in Vietnam in 2019 and a major milestone in strengthening the bilateral relations between India and Vietnam. India and Vietnam share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and defence cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership. Vietnam is an important partner in India’s Act East policy and the Indo-Pacific vision.
The theme of Ex VINBAX – 2022 is employment and deployment of an Engineer Company and a Medical Team as part of United Nations Contingent for Peace Keeping Operations, as per an official statment by the Defence Ministry.
India has a rich legacy of deployment of troops in United Nations missions and has some of the best capacities to impart United Nations peace operations training incorporating best practices and hands on training to prospective United Nations peacekeepers at tactical, operational & strategic levels.
The conduct of Ex VINBAX – 2022 as a field training exercise with enhanced scope from previous editions of bilateral exercise will strengthen mutual confidence, inter-operability and enable sharing of best practices between the Indian Army and Vietnam People’s Army.
The joint exercise will also provide an opportunity to the troops of both the Contingents to learn about the social and cultural heritage of each other. Indian Army is being represented by troops from the 105 Engineer Regiment.
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