The joint military training would culminate with a gruelling 48 hours exercise to validate the performance of both the armies in counter-insurgency in mountainous terrain, it informed…reports Asian Lite News.
The 15th edition of Indo – Nepal Joint Military Training Exercise, ‘Surya Kiran’ will commence on Monday at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.
The exercise which is alternatively held in India and Nepal is part of an initiative to develop inter-operability and sharing expertise between the two nations.
During this exercise, an Infantry Battalion from Indian Army and an equivalent strength from Nepali Army would be sharing their experiences gained during the conduct of various counter-insurgency operations over a prolonged period in their respective countries, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Friday.
As part of the exercise, both the Armies would familiarize themselves with each other’s weapons, equipment, tactics, techniques and procedures of operating in a counter-insurgency environment in mountainous terrain, it stated.
Also, there would be a series of Expert Academic Discussions on various subjects such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, High Altitude Warfare, Jungle Warfare, the statement added.
The joint military training would culminate with a gruelling 48 hours exercise to validate the performance of both the armies in counter-insurgency in mountainous terrain, it informed.
This joint military training will go a long way in improving bilateral relations and also will be a major step towards further strengthening the traditional friendship between the two nations, the statement said.
Last edition of Exercise Surya Kiran was conducted in Nepal in 2019, it recalled.
Earlier, in March this year as part of the military-to-military cooperation between the two countries, India has gifted one lakh doses of anti-COVID-19 vaccines to the Nepal Army.
Meanwhile, India has also been assisting the Nepal Army (NA) in its modernisation by supplying equipment and providing training.
Assistance during disasters, joint military exercises, adventure activities and bilateral visits are other aspects of India’s defence cooperation with Nepal.
A number of defence personnel from Nepal Army attend training courses in various Indian Army training institutions.
Since 1950, India and Nepal have been awarding each other’s Army Chief with the honorary rank of General in recognition of the mutual harmonious relationship between the two armies.
The Gurkha regiments of the Indian Army are raised partly by recruitment from hill districts of Nepal.
Currently, about 32,000 Gurkha soldiers from Nepal are serving in the Indian Army. (India News Network)
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