The Indian contingent demonstrated its superb battle drills and excellent firing skills at the rehearsals during Zapad 2021, a multi-nation military exercise in Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday reviewed the military exercise at Mulino Training Ground of Nizhny, military officials said. The multinational military exercise began on September 3 and will end on September 16.
The Indian Army has sent a 200-member contingent to Zapad 2021. The contingent has men from the Ghatak platoon of the Naga regiment, mechanised infantry & IAF commandos. The Indian contingent has been put through a strenuous training schedule encompassing all facets of conventional operations, including mechanised, airborne, heliborne, counter-terrorism, combat conditioning and firing. Final rehearsals for the strategic exercise were carried out on Sunday. Special Heli Borne Ops (SHBO) were also carried out by the Ghatak platoon of the Naga Regiment using Russian MI-17 helicopters. India’s rivals China and Pakistan have been taking part in the exercise as ‘observers’. In a tweet, the Indian Army shared a video showing its contingent participating in Zapad 2021. Zapad 2021 is one of the theatre-level exercises of the Russian armed forces with the focus primarily on operations against terrorists. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, the exercise is conducted every two years in accordance with the heads of Russia and Belarus.
Over a dozen countries from South Asian and Eurasian regions participate in the event including Russia, India, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan.
