India plans military drill with US near China border

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India has lined up a flurry of combat exercises before this year ends to further bolster military interoperability with friendly countries, which includes the Malabar quadrilateral naval wargames off Japan, infantry exercises with Australia and three Asean countries, and high-altitude warfare drills with the US near the Line of Actual Control with China.

Warships, submarines, fighters, aircraft and helicopters will be deployed by India, the US, Japan and Australia off Yokosuka in Japan from November 8 to 18 for the top-notch Malabar exercise, with the four `Quad’ countries having firmly declared their intent to deter any `coercion’ in the Indo-Pacific with an eye on China’s aggressive expansionist policies in the region.

Earlier this month, the new national security strategy (NSS) of the US said China was its only competitor with both the “intent and capability” to reshape the international order. “As India is the world’s largest democracy and a major defense partner, the US and India will work together, bilaterally and multilaterally, to support our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it added.

The Quad and AUKUS, the trilateral pact among the US, UK and Australia to help Canberra acquire nuclear submarines, are important components of this policy to counter China’s expanding footprint in the Indo-Pacific.

While dispatching multi-role stealth frigate INS Shivalik, anti-submarine corvette INS Kamorta and a P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft for the Malabar exercise, which will be preceded by Japan’s international fleet review, India is also gearing up for the major land exercise with the US.

The battalion-level `Yudh Abhyas’ exercise between the Indian and US armies will be held at Auli in Uttarakhand, barely 100 km from the LAC with China, from November 15 to December 2. This comes shortly after elite Special Forces of the two countries conducted the `Vajra Prahar’ exercise at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh in August.

“With around 350 soldiers from each side, Yudh Abhyas will witness employment of integrated battle groups in mountains and extreme cold climate, along with heliborne elements and an integrated surveillance grid,” an officer said.

With India also steadily enhancing military ties with Australia, which included participation in the recent `Pitch Black’ air combat exercise at Darwin, their armies will now also conduct the first-ever `Austra-Hind’ infantry combat exercise at the Mahajan field firing ranges in Rajasthan from November 28 to December 11.

“It will promote the capability to operate together in semi-desert terrain,” he added.

Then, in continuation of the military outreach to Asean countries, India on Wednesday kicked off the SIMBEX naval exercise with Singapore in the Bay of Bengal, while their armies will conduct the `Agni Warrior’ exercise at Deolali from November 13 to November 30. The Indian Army will also undertake the `Harimau Shakti’ exercise in Malaysia from November 28 to December 13 and the `Garud Shakti’ in Indonesia from November 30 to December 15.

“All such exercises build strategic cooperation and military interoperability with like-minded countries, with the armed forces also getting the opportunity to improve combat skills and operational tactics,” said another officer.

(The Times of India)