In an effort to further strengthen robust strategic ties, India and Russia will hold the first-ever joint tri-service exercise in Russia in October this year thereby signalling a new chapter in the time-tested relations.
So far, the two countries used to hold service to service exercise called INDRA every year alternately in India and Russia. However, it was decided in a recent meeting between top officials of two nations to ramp up the scale of exercise and have a combined exercise involving three services namely Army, Air Force and Navy, Defence Ministry officials said here on Wednesday.
The officials have held preliminary meetings to firm up the exercise schedule as it is the first one of its kind, sources said adding the drill will take place in October in Russia. Moreover, the two countries plan to have a joint annual exercise instead of separate exercises of three services to promote synergy and jointmanship amongst the three arms, they said.
Incidentally, the need for a joint exercise was felt due to fast changing nature of warfare fighting wherein the three arms operate jointly to achieve the political and military objectives in the shortest possible time by pooling resources, they said.