NEW DELHI : As the Prime Ministers of both India and China firmly shook hands today in Myanmar during the regional summit, the armies of the two sides are all set to commence their 10-day joint exercise ‘Hand-in-Hand’ at Aundh Camp, Pune starting from Monday.
This will be the fourth joint training exercise by the Indian Army with People’s Liberation Army of China. While the second edition of the exercise was held at Belgaum in 2008, it has been conducted twice in China in 2007 and 2013. The exercise remains suspended from 2009 to 2012 due to spat between the countries over the issue of stapled visa besides other matters.
An Army spokesperson said the aim of the joint training was to share the drills and practices learnt while tackling insurgency and terrorism, thereby promoting healthy military- to- military relations between the two Armies and developing joint strategies of conducting operations in a counter terrorism environment. Forming part of the different levels of the military to military engagement across the entire spectrum of operations, this exercise will enrich the two contingents in further honing basic military skills, he said.
The exercise is planned at the company level with respective battalion headquarters controlling the training. The training and manoeuvres, to be conducted at Aundh Military Cantonment, College of Military Engineering and firing ranges at Dighi, Pune, are to be supervised by a Joint Directing Panel comprising senior officials of both the nations. Helicopters of Indian Air Force will also be taking active part in the various maneouvers planned in the exercise. Senior military observers of both the countries would attend the opening ceremony.
(AGENCIES)
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