<p class="title">India and the US are likely to hold their first tri-services military drill later this year and talks to finalise the modalities of the exercise are on, a senior Defence Ministry official has said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The three wings of the armed forces of India and the US hold separate military exercises, but this will be the first time that the two countries will have a joint drill of their Army, Air Force and the Navy.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The topic is likely to come up for discussion in September during the 2 plus 2 Dialogue involving External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on one side and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis on the other.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sitharaman and Mattis, during his visit to India last year, had deliberated on exploring additional specialised military drills between the two countries.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This will be second such international military drill involving all the three services.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Last year, an Indian contingent comprising 350 personnel from Army, 80 from Air Force, two IL 76 aircraft and one Frigate and Corvette each from the Navy participated in a bilateral exercise, 'Indra 2017', with the Russian forces in Eastern Military District of Russia. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The armies of India and the US also participated in Exercise Yudh Abhyas - 2017 at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, while the navies of India and the US had last month participated in Malabar 2018, a trilateral exercise involving Japan. </p>
<p class="title">India and the US are likely to hold their first tri-services military drill later this year and talks to finalise the modalities of the exercise are on, a senior Defence Ministry official has said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The three wings of the armed forces of India and the US hold separate military exercises, but this will be the first time that the two countries will have a joint drill of their Army, Air Force and the Navy.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The topic is likely to come up for discussion in September during the 2 plus 2 Dialogue involving External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on one side and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary James Mattis on the other.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Sitharaman and Mattis, during his visit to India last year, had deliberated on exploring additional specialised military drills between the two countries.</p>.<p class="bodytext">This will be second such international military drill involving all the three services.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Last year, an Indian contingent comprising 350 personnel from Army, 80 from Air Force, two IL 76 aircraft and one Frigate and Corvette each from the Navy participated in a bilateral exercise, 'Indra 2017', with the Russian forces in Eastern Military District of Russia. </p>.<p class="bodytext">The armies of India and the US also participated in Exercise Yudh Abhyas - 2017 at Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington, while the navies of India and the US had last month participated in Malabar 2018, a trilateral exercise involving Japan. </p>