India to participate with Pakistan, China in SCO exercise

NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of simmering tensions between the two, India and Pakistan will be participating in a major upcoming exercise under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Russia.

The exercise called ‘Tsentr (Centre) 2019’ is tentatively scheduled to be held from September 10 to 21 at Orenburg. All the eight Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, including India, Pakistan and China, will be taking part in the exercise. It will take place amid a drastic fall in relations between India and Pakistan following the Centre’s move to withdraw the special status for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and bifurcate it into two Union Territories. The move created an uproar in Pakistan with its Prime Minister Imran Khan stating that it will have ‘serious repercussions’. The Line of Control between the two countries has been hot over the last few days with regular ceasefire violations and infiltration attempts by Pakistan.

The exercise will work on demonstrating the employment of forces of coalition states in countering international terrorism and providing military security in the Central Asian region. About 140 troops of an Indian Army unit will be participating in the exercise. The final planning conference, which will define the modalities of conducting the exercise, will take place at Orenburg from August 20 to 22.


Russia has sent invites to Iran, Mongolia, Turkmenistan and Belarus to participate in the exercise. As part of the theme, the exercise will simulate conventional and counter-terrorist operations carried out by the group of troops of the coalition states against “a rogue state responsible for spreading state sponsored terrorism in the region”.

The Indian Army is ensuring that its contingent undergoes a comprehensive training program for the exercise, so that it has a high level of physical fitness and is well knowledgeable of tactical drills and procedures. An air effort will also be provided for the training. A program on cyber security will also be conducted for the contingent. The contingent commander has been tasked to ensure that a cyber security breach doesn’t take place during the exercise.

The required small arms, ammunition and equipment will be carried by the contingent. Ballistic helmets will also be provided to it. The troops will be inducted and de-inducted for the exercise by an Indian Air Force aircraft.

An observer delegation will also be participating in the last few days of the exercise. The decision to hold the exercise was announced during the 34th meeting of the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure council in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, earlier this year, according to reports. The SCO comprises Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, besides India, China and Pakistan. India and Pakistan were admitted into the grouping in 2017. Previously, a SCO military exercise took place in Russia last year and was the first time when India and Pakistan took part in such a drill.