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PUNE: After a gap of three years, the Indian Army‘s Southern Command will conduct an Indo- Africa joint exercise at the foreign training node of the ‘Shivneri brigade’ here at Aundh from March 21 to March 30.
The focus of the exercise will be humanitarian mine action and peacekeeping operations, said the command authorities on Wednesday.
The last Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX) was held at the same venue in 2019.
“This year, we expect to get more than 20 countries on the board for the second edition of the exercise. So far, 17 countries have evinced interest in participating in the exercise. Army has already conducted two rounds of meetings with the African nations about the exercise. The final conference will be held on February 23 and 24 to work out the modalities of the exercise,” said a senior army officer.
The defence and strategic ties with the African continent is crucial amid China’s growing attempt to expand its footprint in the continent in the last few years.
India has taken several steps to engage with African countries in the recent past. The first trilateral naval exercise took place with Tanzania and Mozambique in 2022 in Tanzania, said the officers.
“The objective was to focus on expanding India’s defence partnership with the African nations. It is crucial for maritime security, eradicating and combating piracy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Also, the Indian Army has been contributing substantially to the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in the African region and has also been engaged in the capacity building and training of the military personnel. Keeping all these factors into account, the upcoming exercise holds numerous significance for the forces,” said a senior army officer on condition of anonymity.
The focus of the exercise will be humanitarian mine action and peacekeeping operations, said the command authorities on Wednesday.
The last Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX) was held at the same venue in 2019.
“This year, we expect to get more than 20 countries on the board for the second edition of the exercise. So far, 17 countries have evinced interest in participating in the exercise. Army has already conducted two rounds of meetings with the African nations about the exercise. The final conference will be held on February 23 and 24 to work out the modalities of the exercise,” said a senior army officer.
The defence and strategic ties with the African continent is crucial amid China’s growing attempt to expand its footprint in the continent in the last few years.
India has taken several steps to engage with African countries in the recent past. The first trilateral naval exercise took place with Tanzania and Mozambique in 2022 in Tanzania, said the officers.
“The objective was to focus on expanding India’s defence partnership with the African nations. It is crucial for maritime security, eradicating and combating piracy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Also, the Indian Army has been contributing substantially to the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in the African region and has also been engaged in the capacity building and training of the military personnel. Keeping all these factors into account, the upcoming exercise holds numerous significance for the forces,” said a senior army officer on condition of anonymity.
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