Introduction and About

- Exercise AUSTRAHIND is a joint military initiative between India and Australia.

- The exercise is scheduled to take place at Foreign Training Node, Pune in Maharashtra from the 8th to 21st November 2024.

- This will be the third instalment of this annual exercise.

- The drill is alternately conducted in Australia and India. The last edition took place in Australia in December 2023.

 

Structure and Participation

- The Indian contingent is to comprise 140 personnel, mainly from the DOGRA Regiment and 14 from the Indian Air Force.

- The exercise will run in two phases: the combat conditioning and tactical training phase, and the validation phase.

- Various drills and aspects to be reheated include reaction to a terrorist capturing a defined territory, the establishment of a Joint Operations Centre, conduct of joint counter-terrorism operations like Raid and Search and Destroy Missions, securing of a helipad, and employment of drones and counter-drone measures, amongst others.

 

Aim and Significance

- The primary goal of Exercise AUSTRAHIND is to promote military cooperation between India and Australia. This is achieved through improving interoperability in conducting joint sub conventional operations in semi-urban environments and semi-desert terrains.

- It is conducted under Chapter VII of the UN mandate that affirms the UN's role in maintaining peace and security around the world.

- This annual exercise enables both countries to share their best practices in tactics, techniques, and procedures of conducting tactical operations, thereby enhancing their collective military expertise.