India, Uzbekistan Begin Two-week Long Military Exercise In Uttarakhand

The armies of India and Uzbekistan began a two-week military exercise in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh on Monday with the goal of improving operational interoperability.

The fourth edition of the joint military exercise 'Dustlik' has begun in Pithoragarh's Foreign Training Node (Uttarakhand).

The Indian Army and Uzbekistan each have 45 soldiers participating in this exercise aimed at promoting positive relations between the two countries, according to the Indian Army.

The Indian Army contingent consists of Garhwal Rifles Regiment's infantry battalion troops. The first edition of the exercise was held in November 2019 in Uzbekistan.

“The 14-day joint exercise will focus on joint counter-terrorist operations in mountainous and semi-urban scenarios under UN mandate, and will include field training exercises, combat discussions, lectures, demonstrations and a validation exercise,” the Army said.

“Both sides will train, plan and execute a series of tactical drills to neutralise potential threats while learning to use new generation equipment and technology for joint operations. The emphasis is on increasing interoperability among forces,” said a statement.