<p>“We will be comfortable going with the Indian Army anywhere, anytime. We want to work together as militaries and ensure peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region,” US Army Commander (Pacific) Lt Gen Benjamin R Mixon said.<br /><br />Asked about the possibility of future joint operations, for example in Afghanistan, he said the Indian government has to take a decision on it.<br /><br />No target<br /><br />Indian Army’s Director General (Military Operations) Lt Gen A S Sekhon, nodding in approval, said: “Why not? However, this exercise is not targeting anybody or any nation, or for any specific contingency. We cannot be using this kind of force in peace-keeping operations.<br /><br />“This is only a training exercise to learn from each other’s experience in similar type of operations,” said Sekhon to a specific query if future joint operations were possible in the region.<br /><br />The fortnight-long Yudh Abhyas-09, that began on October 12, saw the Indian Army’s Mechanised Infantry Battalion of 94 Armoured Brigade under Bhopal-based 21 Srike Corps, and the US 2/14 Cavalry of 25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, testing the Russian-made T-90S tanks and BMP-II armoured personnel carriers (APC) with eight-wheeled Stryker APC capable of carrying nine fully-armed personnel. <br /><br />Strykers, which were brought to India for the first time, can be transported to any area of operation by loading them on to C-130 cargo aircraft.<br /><br />India has incidentally bought six C-130J aircraft for its special forces operations and the first Lockheed Martin aircraft is scheduled to arrive in early 2011.<br /><br />The focus of the exercise was to use firepower of armoured vehicles to neutralise armed insurgents and terrorists in a semi-urban setting and peace-enforcement, including use of force, as mandated by Chapter VII of the UN Peace Keeping Operations.<br /><br />Pitching for military equipment sales to India, the US troops, during the course of the exercise, demonstrated the capabilities of their Javelin anti-tank missile and the Raven ultra small unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance.<br /><br />Indian armed forces at present use French-German Milan and Russian Konkur anti-tank missiles, and Israeli-made Heron and Searcher UAVs in their operations.<br /><br />“The use of UAV in the field for operations is something new that we could learn from the Americans,” said Sekhon, when asked about the lessons from this year’s exercise.<br />The two sides also practiced scenarios involving insertion and extraction of troops to capture terror group leaders from inside enemy territory.</p>
<p>“We will be comfortable going with the Indian Army anywhere, anytime. We want to work together as militaries and ensure peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region,” US Army Commander (Pacific) Lt Gen Benjamin R Mixon said.<br /><br />Asked about the possibility of future joint operations, for example in Afghanistan, he said the Indian government has to take a decision on it.<br /><br />No target<br /><br />Indian Army’s Director General (Military Operations) Lt Gen A S Sekhon, nodding in approval, said: “Why not? However, this exercise is not targeting anybody or any nation, or for any specific contingency. We cannot be using this kind of force in peace-keeping operations.<br /><br />“This is only a training exercise to learn from each other’s experience in similar type of operations,” said Sekhon to a specific query if future joint operations were possible in the region.<br /><br />The fortnight-long Yudh Abhyas-09, that began on October 12, saw the Indian Army’s Mechanised Infantry Battalion of 94 Armoured Brigade under Bhopal-based 21 Srike Corps, and the US 2/14 Cavalry of 25 Stryker Brigade Combat Team, testing the Russian-made T-90S tanks and BMP-II armoured personnel carriers (APC) with eight-wheeled Stryker APC capable of carrying nine fully-armed personnel. <br /><br />Strykers, which were brought to India for the first time, can be transported to any area of operation by loading them on to C-130 cargo aircraft.<br /><br />India has incidentally bought six C-130J aircraft for its special forces operations and the first Lockheed Martin aircraft is scheduled to arrive in early 2011.<br /><br />The focus of the exercise was to use firepower of armoured vehicles to neutralise armed insurgents and terrorists in a semi-urban setting and peace-enforcement, including use of force, as mandated by Chapter VII of the UN Peace Keeping Operations.<br /><br />Pitching for military equipment sales to India, the US troops, during the course of the exercise, demonstrated the capabilities of their Javelin anti-tank missile and the Raven ultra small unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance.<br /><br />Indian armed forces at present use French-German Milan and Russian Konkur anti-tank missiles, and Israeli-made Heron and Searcher UAVs in their operations.<br /><br />“The use of UAV in the field for operations is something new that we could learn from the Americans,” said Sekhon, when asked about the lessons from this year’s exercise.<br />The two sides also practiced scenarios involving insertion and extraction of troops to capture terror group leaders from inside enemy territory.</p>
