Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, Oct 20: India and Russia Friday began their first mega tri-services war game involving their armies, navies and air forces with an aim to boost their operational coordination.
The Indian contingent includes nearly 450 personnel, while the Russian side is being represented by around 1,000 troops in the 10-day exercise called Indra.
The opening ceremony of the exercise at Vladivostok was marked by tri-services march-past by both the sides, besides display of traditional martial arts by the Indian troops.
“The joint tri-service exercise will be a demonstration of the increasing commitment of both nations to address common challenges across the full spectrum of operations,” the defence ministry said in a statement Thursday.
In his address at the opening ceremony, Maj Gen ND Prasad, the Indian task force commander, said that the first ever tri-service exercise between the two countries reflects the vibrancy of the continued Indo-Russian strategic partnership. He said with the rich operational experience of Russian and Indian armies in counter insurgency operations, both sides will gain immensely from each other to further develop their capabilities.
Lt Gen Solomatin, Chief of Staff, Eastern Military District of the Russian Federation, said that the exercise will further strengthen the relationship between the two defence forces.