India conducts military drills with multiple nations across the globe, sets up a ton more

India's armed forces are currently undertaking a huge number of military exercises, in tandem with other countries across the globe - including America, Japan and Britain.

While the country's 'Hand-in-Hand' bilateral exercise with China ground to a halt after major border skirmishes between the countries, inadvertently paving the way for other countries to conduct their drills with India.


"Exercises enhance military and strategic cooperation, confidence-building and interoperability with different countries, apart from honing combat skills, imbibing best practices and operational tactics," a senior Army officer told TOI.

India has also stepped up outreach in Africa - where China having made major inroads already - with the help of military exercises.

"Defence diplomacy is an instrument to further India's diplomatic interests," the officer added.

In the past few months, India has held exercises with multiple countries, but the biggest statement of them was the Quad one, between India, America, Japan and Australia - an alliance that holds major strategic influence against China's growing presence in the Pacific.

The subcontinent also has exercises scheduled for the coming months, barely leaving any breathing room. On the schedule is the 'Quad plus Britain' exercise set for October.

Later, India will conduct another exercise with the United Kingdom, involving the latter's HMS Queen Elizabeth with its fifth-generation F-35B 'lightning' fighter jets. This will be India's third tri-service exercise, the first two happening with America and Russia.

The country's Army has already gone through exercises in Russia and Kazakhstan, while another is happening in Russia, currently.

Indian Army's future exercises:

• 'Surya Kiran' with Nepal
• 'Mitra Shakti' with Sri Lanka
• 'Ajeya Warrior' with the United Kingdom
• 'Yudh Abhyas' with America
• 'Shakti' with France

India's Navy and Air Force are not far behind, with the former conducting bilateral exercises with Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Kenya, UAE, Qatar, Brunei, Bahrain, Egypt, UK and Germany this year.

The Indian Air Force, meanwhile, dispatched its Sukhoi-30MKI fighters and C-17 Globemaster-III aircraft to take part in the 'Desert Flag' exercise - which included India, US, France, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain

"India is steadily enhancing its military outreach to the strategically-located Persian Gulf region," an officer told TOI.