India & UAE gear up to conduct 1st joint military exercise 'Desert Cyclone' in Rajasthan

New Delhi: The first edition of  joint military exercise named 'Desert Cyclone 2024' between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is scheduled to take place from January 2 to January 15 in the state of Rajasthan, as confirmed by Army officials on Sunday, December 31. The aim of these joint drills, as per officials, is to improve interoperability by sharing and learning the best practices in urban operations.

The Indian Army, through its official handle on X, announced the commencement of the exercise, underlining the importance of the exercise in enhancing cooperation between India and the UAE. “The exercise aims to enhance interoperability by learning & sharing best practices in Urban Operations,” Defence officials added.

First edition of Desert Cyclone, between India & UAE

Additionally, as per the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the friendship between India and the UAE is deeply rooted in cultural, religious, and economic connections spanning thousands of years. The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier highlighted potential areas of collaboration in defence, including the production and development of defence equipment, joint armed forces exercises (particularly naval exercises), information sharing on strategy and doctrines, and technical cooperation in Intermediate Jet Trainer, among others.

In recent years, the defence ties between India and the UAE have grown stronger, notably in defence training and the supply of defence inventory. Furthermore, both countries have engaged in regular exchange programs to deepen their defence cooperation.

This upcoming joint military exercise follows the successful conduct of the first-ever India-UAE Joint Air Forces exercise in September 2008 at the Al-Dhafra base in Abu Dhabi. India has also actively participated in the biennial International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) held in Abu Dhabi.