India all set for joint military exercise Zapad-21 along with China and Pakistan

Amid the fast-evolving Afghanistan situation, India is all set to show its military might to the world. After sixteen months of stand-off with China and six months of ceasefire agreement with Pakistan, India will participate in a joint military exercise with its neighbours. The military exercise Zapad-21 will be held in Russia from September 3, wherein troops of 17 countries have been invited. 

ZAPAD 2021 is one of the theatre level exercises of the Russian Armed Forces and will focus primarily on operations against terrorists. Over a dozen countries from the Eurasian and South Asian Regions will participate in this signature event. The countries invited include China, Pakistan, Armenia, Belarus, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Serbia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. India will be participating in Zapad with a strength of 250 troops. 

The NAGA Battalion group participating in the exercise will feature an all Arms combined task force. The exercise aims to enhance military and strategic ties amongst the participating nations while they plan & execute this exercise. The Indian Contingent has been put through a strenuous training schedule that encompasses all facets of conventional operations including mechanised, airborne & heliborne, counter-terrorism, combat conditioning and firing.

In 2019, the Indian Army had participated in Exercise Tsentr with a strength of 140 personnel while staying away from the 2020 Kavkaz exercise, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Kavkaz exercise, China and Pakistan had also participated in the joint exercise. The two-week-long exercise will take place at Mulino Training Ground in Nizhniy, which is 423 km east of Moscow.  Zapad-2021 is a part of the annual series of large-scale exercises that are significant to the Russian Armed Force's annual training cycle. 

The series rotates through four main Russian strategic Commands, including Zapad (West), Vostok (East), Tsentr (Center), and Kavkaz (Caucasus). Indian troops will not only display their strength but also enhance interoperability with friendly foreign armies in the 17 nation exercise. India's fine coordination with friendly nations including Russia will send across a message to China and Pakistan during the Zapad exercise.

IMAGE: PTI