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Indian, US commandos hold joint training
New Delhi, August 25Commandos of special forces of India and the US carried out a three-week joint training exercise in the country August 4 to 19 to hone their combat skills in countering modern security challenges, including terrorist threats, Exercise â Vajra Prahar â was held in âthe western theatreâ. It was also aimed at providing the troops of the two countries with the âfirst-hand knowledge of each otherâs weapons, equipment, operational techniques and organisation", said an Indian Army spokesman here. Over the past few years, the armed forces of India and the US have stepped up joint training programmes, particularly manoeuvres that will help them jointly tackle terrorist threats. India has also purchased special weapons and equipment for its commando units from the US. This exercise consisted of tactical manoeuvres, long-range surveillance techniques, special helicopter-borne operations, combat survival, combat shooting techniques and a friendship parachute jump. âWith the successful completion of the exercise, military cooperation between the two countries has strengthened further,â the spokesman said. He quoted an American Green Beret commando as saying that the training programme was of a high calibre: âWe train with most of the armies in the world, but itâs here we get equally trained,â the US commando said. Over the past few years, India has opened some of its top training facilities â usually off-limits to foreign military personnel â to the US armed forces that have trained in areas as varied as Jammu and Kashmir and a jungle warfare school in the northeastern state of Mizoram. Posted by: john 2005-08-26 |
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