On 16 April 2025, the sixth edition of India-Uzbekistan exercise commenced at the Foreign Training Node of Aundh Military Station, Pune. The exercise will conclude on 28 April 2025.
The exercise enhances joint training and facilitates exchange of practices in counterterrorism operations.
The exercise is named ‘Dustlik’, which means friendship in Uzbekistan. It an annual exercise conducted alternately in India and Uzbekistan.
The exercise remains important to Uzbekistan’s growing defence needs, and India’s proactive steps to indigenise its defence sector under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Hence,addition to the joint exercise, joint defence production, military medicine, and other forms of enhanced defence cooperation are also necessary.
The Indian contingent, comprising 60 personnel, is represented by a battalion of Jat Regiment and Indian Air Force’s Garud (Special Force) personnel. The Uzbekistan contingent is represented by personnel from the Uzbekistan Army.
The exercise will focus on responding to terrorist action in relation to the capture of a defined territory. It will also include establishment of a joint operations centre at the battalion level for continuous joint operations, execution of counterterrorism missions such as raids, search-and-destroy operations, and employment of firepower, including air assets, to neutralise terrorists, said the officials.
“Special forces from the Army and Air Force, during the exercise, will secure a helipad for use as a mounting base for further operations. The exercise will also cover deployment of drones, counter-unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) measures, and logistics support by the Air Force to sustain forces in hostile areas. Additionally, helicopters will be utilised for reconnaissance and observation, special heliborne operations, small team insertion and extraction, and other associated missions,” said the officer.
Brigadier S Taluja, the Brigade Commander of Aundh Military Station, stated, “This joint military exercise is a powerful manifestation of our shared commitment to enhancing regional security, fostering interoperability between our armed forces, and strengthening the bonds of friendship between our personnel. It provides a unique platform to learn from each other’s experiences, understand best practices, and build lasting professional relationships.”
Uzbekistan contingent commander Col Jsbarov Thoir Ergashovich, head of the department of general staff of Uzbekistan, also said, “The exercise is a great opportunity for us to work together on important tasks related to counterterrorism operations in semi-urban areas. We will use different types of armed forces and share best practices in this field.”
