NEW DELHI, India – India and Kazakhstan conduct joint military exercise in Umroi, Meghalaya of India, according to sources, marking the sixth edition of Kzalnd 2022.
In the sixth edition of Kazlnd, Kazakhstan Army soldiers – comprising troops from the Regional Command, South and Indian Army soldiers from the 11 Grokha Rifles – took part.
The exercise aimed at building positive military relations, imbibe each other’s best practices and promote the ability to operate together while undertaking counter-terrorist operations in semi-urban/jungle scenario, according to ANI.
The program is under a United Nation peace enforcement mandate, enabling the two armies to train, plan and execute a series of combined tactical drills for neutralizing of likely threats that may be encountered in UN peacekeeping operations.
During the exercise, participants engaged in a variety of missions ranging from joint planning, joint tactical drills, basics of special arms skills, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and raiding a hostile target, as ANI reported.
Meanwhile, senior officials said “Exercise Kazlnd” will enhance the level of defense cooperation between Indian Army and Kazakhstan Army, which will foster the bilateral relations between the two nations.
The final validation exercise named as Ex Jenis (Ex Victory) displayed the various skills inculcated in patrolling, jungle shooting, reflex shooting, combat tracking, use of Mine Protection Vehicles and the conduct of raid on Monday, according to ANI.
The exercise showed the intra-operationability between both countries according to the UN Mandate.
The 14-day-long joint military exercise started on December 15 this year, which was an initiative of the Kazakhstan Army in 2016 as Exercise Prabal Dostyk.
Prabal Dostyk Joint Military Exercise
Prabal Dostyk is a 14 day joint military exercise between India and Kazakhstan, where the two or more countries are participating in the war game.
This exercise was first held in 2016 by the Indian Army with units of the Kazakhstan Army on Counter-terrorism operations at a high altitude. The second edition of this exercise was held in 2017 in Madhya Pradesh, India.
According to India’s Ministry of Defence, the exercise is a unique tri-service training that focuses on counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain, in a short duration and at a high altitude (up to 4000 m), with special emphasis on promoting interoperability between the armies of India and Kazakhstan.
Objectives of the Exercise:
- To strengthen the mutual trust and cooperation between the armies of both countries.
- To share experience in counter-insurgency operations under extreme weather conditions.
- To train effectively, to operate in high-altitude regions.
The army is strengthening its link with Central Asian Countries, especially with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. On 9 October 2017, India and Kazakhstan signed an agreement for the “long-term presence of Indian military personnel in Kazakhstan for further training of Kazakh officers” (Indian military participation at Shymkent Military School).
