New Delhi: India and the US are carrying out a bilateral tri-service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, Tiger Triumph-24, on the Eastern Seaboard from 18 to 31 March.
While the harbour phase will be carried out at Visakhapatnam, the sea phase is set to be carried out at Kakinada. The exercise will be simulated to undertake HADR operations in a “friendly island nation”, where the troops will execute amphibious landing ops.
The harbour phase is scheduled from 18 to 25 March 2024. On completion of the harbour phase, the ships, with the troops embarked, would sail for the sea phase and undertake maritime, amphibious and HADR operations with “injected situations”.
The troops, it is learnt, will establish a camp to cater to internally-displaced refugees where the exercise camps will be.
During the exercise, a joint centre between the troops of both the countries will be established to enable sharing of intelligence and to further coordinated ops.
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The aim of the exercise, sources in the defence and security establishment said, is to focus on enhancing interoperability, strengthening bilateral relations and improving capabilities in HADR and sub-conventional operations.
The Indian Navy is represented by ships with its integral helicopters and landing crafts as well as aircraft. The Indian Army will have its personnel and vehicles participate in the exercise.
The Indian Air Force will send its aircraft and helicopters along with the Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT). The US will participate with its naval ships with troops of the US Marine Corps on these ships. The United States Army is also a part of the exercise.
The Indian Navy, in a press statement, said the exercise was aimed at developing interoperability for conducting HADR operations and refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to enable rapid and smooth coordination between forces of both countries.
( Edited by Tikli Basu)
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