• The 14th edition of the Indo-US joint Special Forces exercise ‘Vajra Prahar 2023’ began at the Joint Training Node in Meghalaya’s Umroi Cantonment on November 21. It will conclude on December 11.

• The US contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) of US Special Forces while the Indian Army contingent is led by Special Forces personnel from the Eastern Command.

• The joint exercise is conducted with the aim to share best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics.

• During the exercise, both sides will jointly plan and rehearse a series of special operations, counter-terrorist operations, airborne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.

• The exercise has evolved as a mechanism to exchange ideas and share best practices between the Special Forces of both the nations.

• It is also a platform to enhance interoperability and strengthen defence cooperation between the armies of India and the US.

• The first edition of the exercise was conducted in the year 2010 in India.

• The 13th edition of the Indo-US joint Special Forces exercise was conducted at the Special Forces Training School, Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh.

Other bilateral exercises with the US are: 

i) Cope India (Air Force)

ii) Yudh Abhyas (Army) 

iii) Tiger Triumph (a tri-services exercise inaugurated in 2019).

Major Defence Partner

• The Indo-US defence ties have been on an upswing in the last few years.

• In June 2016, the US designated India a ‘Major Defence Partner’ paving way for sharing of critical military equipment and technology.

• The two countries have also inked key defence and security pacts over the past few years, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their militaries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.

• The two sides also signed COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018 which provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for the sale of high-end technology from the US to India.

• In October 2020, India and the US sealed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) agreement to further boost bilateral defence ties. The pact provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.

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