India, US forces run joint exercise Tarkash to counter chemical terror threats

A joint counter-terrorism exercise between National Security Guard (NSG) and US Special Operations Forces (SOF) culminated in Chennai on February 14 after four weeks of intense training and joint anti-terror exercises. The main highlight of the exercise was mock drills for the CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) counter terror response by special forces of both countries.

The training regimen of the exercise included the conduct of urban counter-terrorism drills, combat shooting and practice of long-range marksmanship, to enhance mutual warfare capabilities. Speaking about the exercise, NSG Director General MA Ganapathy said, "NSG needs to be prepared to keep in mind the future challenges and threats.”

“For this, capabilities have been developed to effectively deal with CBRN threats,'' the NSG Director General further said. Moreover, the NSG Director General stressed that mock drills have been conducted considering the challenges of urban warfare. The drills included para-slithering of SF commandos from IAF choppers.

What is Exercise Tarkash?

Exercise Tarkash is a counter-terrorism exercise between India’s National Security Guard (NSG) and US Special Operations Forces (SOF). The main aim of this exercise is to train commandos of both the special forces units for the implementation of rapid neutralisation of enemies, the rescuing of hostages and neutralise the threat of chemical weapons.

Notably, this was the first instance in the exercise's history where Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Terror response (CBRN) drills were conducted. CBRN weapons are classified as weapons of mass destruction and have been used by states and terror elements in the past.

In the current geopolitical landscape, Exercise Tarkash is a significant one as India is surrounded by two nuclear-armed neighbours, China and Pakistan. Furthermore, Pakistan has a history of issuing nuclear threats. Notably, China has surpassed the United States in possession of nuclear warheads, according to STRATCOM.