The 19th edition of the joint military exercise “Exercise Suryakiran XIX-2025” commenced on November 25(Tuesday) at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. The exercise is being conducted from November 25 to December 8, a statement by the Ministry of Defence said. The Indian contingent, of 334 personnel, is being represented mainly by troops from the ASSAM Regiment. The Nepal side is being represented by 334 personnel, mainly troops from the DEVI DATTA Regiment.
The aim of the exercise is to jointly rehearse and conduct the sub-conventional operations as per the Chapter VII of the United Nations Mandate. The scope of the exercise is to strengthen battalion-level synergy in jungle warfare, counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain, humanitarian assistance & disaster relief (HADR), medical response, environmental conservation and integrated ground-aviation operations.
This edition of Exercise SURYAKIRAN-XIX will focus on incorporating niche and emerging technologies, including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), drone-based ISR, AI-enabled decision support tools, unmanned logistic vehicles and armoured protection platforms, enabling both armies to refine and adapt tactics, techniques and procedures for operating in a counterterrorism environment aligned to prevailing global dynamics, the statement said.
Collective efforts will focus on achieving an enhanced level of interoperability amongst the troops and reducing the risk of life and property while keeping the interests and agenda of the UN at the forefront during peacekeeping operations. Both sides will exchange views and practices of joint drills on a wide spectrum of combat skills that will facilitate the participants to mutually learn from each other. Sharing of best practices will further enhance the level of defence cooperation between the Indian Army and the Nepal Army. The exercise will also foster strong bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations.
(With Inputs from ANI)
