India-Mongolia Forge Strong Bonds Through Joint Military Exercise In Ulaanbaatar

The Ministry of Defense announced on July 16 that Indian and Mongolian troops will take part in the 15th version of a bilateral military exercise in Ulaanbaatar from July 17 to July 31. The goal of the exercise is to share best practices and improve interoperability.

A statement from the Ministry of Defense said that 43 people from the Indian Army arrived in Ulaanbaatar on Sunday on an Indian Air Force C-17 plane to take part in the “Nomadic Elephant-23” drill.

“The goal of this drill is to improve relations between the two Armies, share best practices, and build interoperability, goodwill, camaraderie, and friendship. “The main focus of the exercise will be on UN-ordered counter-terrorism operations in mountainous areas,” said the statement.

“Nomadic Elephant” is a training practice that takes place every year, switching between Mongolia and India. The last time the drill was done was in October 2019 at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.

The ministry said that soldiers from the Mongolian Armed Forces Unit 084 and the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regiment of the Indian Army will take part in the drill.

Field Training practice (FTX) at the platoon level is a part of this practice. It said that during the drill, Indian and Mongolian troops will take part in different training activities that are meant to improve their skills and abilities.

Some of these activities are training for stamina, reflex shooting, room intervention, small-team tactics, and rock craft. It also said that soldiers on both sides will be able to learn from each other’s combat experience.

India and Mongolia both want to keep the area safe and work together. The statement says that “Nomadic Elephant-23” will be another important step in the defense partnership between the armies of India and Mongolia. It will also help to strengthen relations between the two countries.