By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 19 Feb: As part of a military-to-military exchange programme between the Indian and Uzbekistan Armies, the fourth edition of the biennial training exercise, DUSTLIK (2023), will be conducted from 20 February to 5 March in Pithoragarh.
The Indian contingent will be represented by the 14th Battalion, The Garhwal Rifles, part of the Western Command, in this bilateral exercise. Uzbekistan will be represented by troops of the North Western Military District of Uzbekistan Army. This joint exercise is aimed at enhancing military capability to undertake multi-domain operations in a Sub Conventional scenario under the United Nations’ Mandate.
The Exercise Planning Conference (EPC) for Exercise DUSTLIK-2023 was held at Pithoragarh from 10 to 12 January and attended by a delegation of three members including an officer of the Defence Cooperation Division, led by a Colonel of the Indian Army. The Army contingent selected for the said exercise has been put through a strenuous training schedule which included firing, combat conditioning, tactical operations, special operations, House Clearance/Room Intervention Drills, supervised explosive device operation and Rock Craft.
The entire exercise contingent of Uzbekistan arrived at the exercise location on 18 February. The joint exercise would focus on sub-conventional operations in the backdrop of semi-urban and mountainous terrain. The training will focus primarily on a high degree of physical fitness, sharing of drills at a tactical level, conducting special operations and learning best practices from each other. The exercise aims at enhancing understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the two armies. The exercise will culminate with a 48 hour long validation exercise which will involve the neutralisation of armed personnel in semi-urban areas.
