11th Edition of India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Military Exercise ‘Khanjar’

The 11th edition of the India-Kyrgyzstan joint military exercise, ‘Khanjar’, commenced on January 22 in Himachal Pradesh. The two-week long exercise aims to boost defence cooperation and exchange expertise on counterterrorism operations.

What is the Khanjar exercise?

Khanjar is an annual joint military exercise between India and Kyrgyzstan, conducted alternately in the two countries. The current edition is being organised at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. The 11-day exercise involves drills and simulations for counterterrorism operations in mountainous areas.

Key objectives

The Khanjar exercise focuses on honing special forces skills, including insertion, extraction and ambush techniques. It aims to address shared security threats like terrorism and extremism. The exercise also offers an opportunity to display indigenous military equipment capabilities. Overall, it intends to fortify India-Kyrgyzstan defence collaboration.

Participants

The Indian contingent comprises 20 personnel from the elite Parachute Regiment’s Special Forces. The Kyrgyzstan contingent also has 20 personnel, from the Scorpion Brigade. Senior military officials from both sides will be closely observing the exercise.

Focus areas

As part of the United Nations Charter, the drill concentrates on counterterrorism scenarios in built-up areas as well as mountainous terrain. This involves planning and executing special operations while neutralising simulated terrorist threats. Use of high-tech equipment for surveillance and combat operations is also being demonstrated.

Wider cooperation

Beyond joint exercises, India and Kyrgyzstan have an extensive defence partnership spanning capacity building, training military personnel, servicing equipment and cooperation in border security. As part of this, India gifted vehicles and bulletproof jackets to Kyrgyzstan’s forces last December.

Importance of mountain warfare capacity

Enhancing mountain warfare abilities is a priority for both India and Kyrgyzstan due to the terrain and persistent terrorism concerns. Control over mountain passes is also strategically vital. The Khanjar exercise develops specialised skills like scaling cliffs and surviving in tough conditions – crucial to secure borders.

Equipment display

The exercise envisions exhibiting cutting-edge military gear produced indigenously, aligning with India’s self-reliance push. This serves to showcase domestic defence industry capabilities. For instance, Indian Army contingents have deployed newly-introduced assault rifles during the Khanjar exercise.

Diplomatic signal

The Khanjar drill comes just months after clashes erupted between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan troops over a disputed segment of their mountainous border. The exercise indicates India’s support for Kyrgyzstan amidst regional tensions. It also signals New Delhi’s widening Central Asia engagement.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2024

Category: Defence Current Affairs