INDIA UZBEKISTAN JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE
WHY IN NEWS ?
- The Indian Army contingent has departed for the 7th edition of Exercise DUSTLIK, a joint military exercise between India and Uzbekistan.
- The exercise is being conducted:
- From 12 to 25 April 2026
- At Gurumsaray Field Training Area
- The previous edition was held in India at Aundh (Pune) in April 2025.
ABOUT EXERCISE DUSTLIK
- Exercise DUSTLIK is a bilateral joint military exercise conducted annually between India and Uzbekistan.
- It is held:
- Alternately in India and Uzbekistan
- The exercise focuses on:
- Enhancing defence cooperation
- Improving joint operational capability
PARTICIPATING FORCES
- The Indian contingent consists of 60 personnel:
- 45 personnel from Indian Army, mainly from a battalion of the MAHAR Regiment
- 15 personnel from Indian Air Force
- The Uzbekistan contingent also includes:
- Around 60 personnel from their Army and Air Force
AIM OF THE EXERCISE
- The main aim is to:
- Strengthen military cooperation between the two countries
- It also seeks to:
- Enhance combined capability to conduct joint operations
- Improve coordination in semi-mountainous terrain conditions
KEY TRAINING FOCUS
- The exercise emphasises:
- High level of physical fitness
- Joint planning of operations
- Execution of joint tactical drills
- It also includes:
- Training in specialised arms and operational skills
OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES
- The participating troops will practice:
- Land navigation techniques
- Strike missions on enemy bases
- Seizure of enemy-held areas
- The exercise will conclude with:
- A 48-hour validation exercise
Validation Exercise Focus
- Testing:
- Preparedness for joint special operations
- Objective:
- Neutralisation of unlawful armed groups
INTEROPERABILITY & COORDINATION
- A key goal is to establish:
- A unified operational algorithm
- This involves:
- Coordination between command-and-control structures
- It improves:
- Interoperability between armed forces
- Joint decision-making capability
MUTUAL LEARNING & EXCHANGE
- Indian forces will:
- Learn operational procedures of Uzbekistan Armed Forces
- Uzbekistan forces will:
- Gain insights from India’s operational experience
- Both sides will share:
- Best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs)
Note: Connect with Vajirao & Reddy Institute to keep yourself updated with latest UPSC Current Affairs in English.
Note: We upload Current Affairs Except Sunday.