India-Thailand joint military exercise concludes in Meghalaya

Shillong: The 14th edition of the India-Thailand joint military exercise, Maitree, concluded in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district on Sunday.The two-week exercise, focused on counter-terrorism, was held from Sept 2 at the Foreign Training Node, Umroi cantonment. The exercise included tactical drills, field training, and joint planning exercises, with a focus on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban and jungle terrain.The Indian Army contingent, comprising 120 personnel, was represented by a battalion of the Madras Regiment. The Royal Thai Army contingent, comprising 53 personnel, was represented by the 1st Infantry Battalion, 14th Infantry Brigade.“The aim of the ‘Exercise MAITREE-XIV’ between the Indian and Thai armies was to achieve inter-operability and to acquaint each other with operational procedures and combat drills. It was evident from what was witnessed that both the armies were able to achieve this aim,” a defence statement said.The exercise was conducted under the United Nations (UN) mandate. Both the contingents jointly participated in all the tactical drills as well as operational discussions.The exercise culminated with a 48-hour validation exercise which included creation of Temporary Operating Base (TOB), establishing an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) grid, isolation of village, Heliborne Operations, conduct of raid and hostage rescue.The exercise also included display and active use of new generation equipment by both armies.“The closing ceremony was organised as a solemn occasion to felicitate outstanding soldiers and to showcase each other's cultural and martial heritage. A series of programmes displaying the rich culture and heritage of both the countries were also organised,” the defence statement said.“Both the armies shared valuable combat experiences and best practices. Besides training, both the contingents also participated in number of extracurricular activities including friendly volleyball, basketball and tug-of-war matches and a cultural event on the final day to increase the bonhomie between troops,” the statement said. “The joint training was undoubtedly, an astounding success. It was another significant milestone achieved in ensuring cordial relations between the two countries. Besides promoting understanding and inter-operability between the two armies, it further helped in cementing ties between both the nations,” the defence statement said.