Monday, 14 OCTOBER 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The 8th edition of India-Kazakhstan joint military exercise KAZIND-2024 culminated on Sunday at the Surya Foreign Training Node at Auli in Chamoli district. The exercise started on September 30. The closing ceremony of the joint exercise was attended by Colonel D Khamitov, Deputy Chief of Ground Forces of Kazakhstan Army, Colonel Nurlan Karibayev, Regional Forces Commander, Southern Command of Kazakhstan Army and Brigadier Upinder Pal Singh, Commander, 116 Infantry Brigade of the Indian Army.
According to officials, exercise KAZIND is an annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Kazakhstan. The previous edition was conducted in Kazakhstan in July 2023.
The Indian contingent comprising 120 personnels was represented primarily by a battalion of the Kumaon Regiment and Indian Air Force besides personnels from other arms and services. The Kazakhstan contingent comprising 60 personnels was represented mainly by personnels from the Land Forces, Air Defence Forces and Airborne Assault Troopers.
The aim of KAZIND-2024 was to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake counter-terrorism operations in a sub-conventional scenario under Chapter VII of the United Nations mandate. The joint exercise focused on operations in the semi-urban and mountainous terrain. Objectives which were achieved from the joint training are high degree of physical fitness, rehearsing and refining drills for operations at tactical level and sharing of best practices.
Tactical drills practiced during the exercise included response to a terrorist action of capturing a defined territory, establishment of a joint command post, establishment of an intelligence and surveillance centre, securing of a helipad/ landing site, combat free fall, special heliborne operations, cordon and search operations besides employment of drones and counter-drone systems, among others.
Exercise KAZIND – 2024 enabled the two sides to share their best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures of conducting joint operations. The joint exercise facilitated developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between armed forces personnel of the two countries. This also enhanced the level of defence cooperation, further assisting bilateral relations between the two friendly nations, officials said.
