The Indian army and US troops participated in a joint training operation in the Uttarakhand hills, as a part of the ongoing ‘Yudh Abhyas 2016’ exercise, a defence official said. The troops practised small tactical operations as well as specialised mountain warfare techniques.
The purpose of the exercise is to stimulate a scenario where both nations were working together to counter insurgency and counter terrorism (CICT) in mountainous terrain under UN charter.The Indian Army, with its expertise on deployment and operations in mountainous terrains, shared its rich experience of mountainous warfare with the US troops,” the Central Command official said.
It is the 12th edition of the joint military exercise hosted alternately by the two countries. The two week (from September 14 to 27) exercise will witness participation of about 225 personnel of Congo Brigade of the Indian Army and similar strength of the US Army.
In addition to small tactical operations in the mountainous terrain, the troops were also given opportunities to enhance their skills in specialised mountain warfare techniques like rock craft, rock climbing and cliff assault.
The joint training provided valuable inputs to facilitate both armies to enhance interoperability and prepare for undertaking any operations in rugged mountainous terrain in the future.
