14th Edition Of India-US Joint Exercise "Vajra Prahar 2023" Begins

The 14th edition of the India-US joint special armed forces exercise, "Vajra Prahar 2023," commenced on November 21, 2023, at the Umroi Joint Training Site. The United States contingent was represented by soldiers of the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) of the US Special Forces. Special Forces personnel from the Eastern Command are leading the Indian Army contingent.

Exercise Vajra Prahar:

• Vajra Prahar Exercise involves collaborative training between the special forces of the Indian Army and the US Army.
• Vajra Prahar aims to share best practices and best experiences in areas such as joint program planning and operational strategy.
• The inaugural session of this exercise took place in India in 2010.
• The 13th iteration of the joint special armed forces exercise between India and the US occurred at the Special Forces Training Center (SFTS) in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
• The current 14th edition is being conducted from 21 November to 11 December 2023 at Umroi Cantonment located in Meghalaya.
• In the upcoming three weeks of this exercise, the armies will collaboratively engage in and rehearse a series of special operations, counter-terrorism activities, and air operations across conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.

Highlights of 14th Vajra Prahar:

• Its main practice programmes include:
  • 'Secret departure by troops from a particular distance to a safe place without fighting',
  • 'Entry of troops from aquatic area',
  • 'Precise penetration and attack on targets at long range',
  • To carry out activities such as 'countering aircraft such as large combat aircraft and helicopters, including defense against other aerial threats' and
  • Fulfilling logistics needs are included.

Inter-operational capacity between the two countries will increase:

• Vajra Prahar Exercise has developed into a platform for the special forces of both nations to exchange ideas and disseminate best practices.
• This is also a big opportunity to increase interoperability between the armies of India and America and strengthen defense cooperation.

Other military exercises between India and America:

• Vajra Prahar (army)
• Yudh Abhyas (army) 
• Cope India (Air Force)
• Red Flag (US multilateral air exercise)
• Passage Military Exercise (Navy)
• Trilateral Malabar Exercise involving India, the US, and Japan.