Officials said on Sunday that the 14-day tri-service drill between India and the US, called “Tiger Triumph-24,” is over.
The March 18th drill was meant to improve standard operating procedures and build interoperability so that the two countries’ military forces could work together more quickly and easily.
The Indian Army sent one battalion group to the second version of the tri-service exercise, which took place in Visakhapatnam and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. The Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force also sent troops.
A senior source said that the end of the amphibious exercise took place on March 30 on board the USS Somerset.
The goal of the exercise was to share best practices and standard operating procedures for multinational HADR activities. It was meant to show the “robust strategic partnership” between the two countries.
Officials say that the harbor phase took place in Visakhapatnam from March 18th to March 25th and included pre-sail talks, exchanges of subject matter experts, sports activities, ship boarding drills, and visits between decks.
“People from both navies celebrated Holi together on March 25 as part of a cultural exchange program that showed off India’s colorful and lively culture,” they said.
The sea phase took place from March 26th to March 30th, and units from both countries did maritime exercises. After the exercises, troops landed at Kakinada to set up a joint command and control center and a joint relief and medical camp for HADR operations, a Navy spokesperson said in a statement.
“Cross-deck helicopter operations involving UH3H, CH53 and MH60R helicopters were also undertaken between ships of the Indian Navy and the US Navy off Kakinada and Visakhapatnam,” a source said.
A landing platform dock, a guided missile frigate, a long-range marine reconnaissance aircraft, and landing ship tanks (large) with their own landing craft and helicopters were all Indian Navy units that took part.
A statement said that the Indian Army was represented by an Infantry Battalion Group with mechanized troops. The Indian Air Force also sent a medium-lift aircraft, a transport helicopter, and the Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT).
It was said that the US Task Force was made up of US Marines, a destroyer, maritime reconnaissance and medium-lift planes, and a US Navy landing platform dock with air cushions for landing craft and helicopters.
“Special Ops forces from all the three services also participated in the exercise and jointly undertook combined operations with the US counterparts at Visakhapatnam and Kakinada during the harbour and sea phases,” the report said.
