Indian Army makes debut at US special forces exercise in Florida

NEW DELHI: An Indian armed forces delegation, led by Lieutenant General Pushpendra Pal Singh, General Officer Commanding-In-Chief of Western Command and the seniormost serving special forces officer of the Indian armed forces, participated in Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week held at Tampa in Florida, US, from May 18 to 21.

The event brought together special operations forces, defence leaders and industry partners from over 70 nations.

On the sidelines of the SOF Week, Lt General Pushpendra Pal Singh engaged with the senior leadership of (US Special Operations Command and US Southern Command, the Indian Army said on X.

In a first, the Indian Army participated in the prestigious CAPEX Capability Demonstration at Tampa, Florida, showcasing professionalism and operational excellence of the Indian special forces in counter-terrorism, unconventional warfare, high-altitude and jungle warfare operations, the Army post said.

India's participation at SOF Week 2026 shows the growing India-US defence partnership and the expanding global footprint of the Indian armed forces.

The engagements provided an important platform for exchange of operational experiences and strengthening defence partnerships.

The 2026 USSOCOM Capability Demonstration, titled "Battle in the Bay", was conducted on May 20 at the Tampa waterfront and featured US special operations forces alongside contingents from 10 partner nations in an integrated live operational environment.