Joint Military Exercise DUSTLIK Commences Between Indian and Uzbekistan Army
Joint military exercise ‘DUSTLIK’ between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army began on 20th February in Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand). The exercise is aimed at promoting positive relations between both armies.
45 soldiers each from Uzbekistan and Indian Army are participating in the 14-day long joint exercise. The Indian Army contingent comprises of troops from an Infantry Battalion from the Garhwal Rifles Regiment. The first edition of the exercise was held at Uzbekistan in November 2019.
The joint exercise would focus on joint counter-terrorist operations in mountainous and semi-urban scenarios under UN mandate. The exercise will include field training exercises, combat discussions, lectures, demonstrations and culminate with a validation exercise. Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats, while learning to exploit new generation equipment and technology for conducting joint operations.
Emphasis is being laid on increasing interoperability between the forces. The exercise will enable understanding of each other’s organisation and methodology of conducting various operations. The bonhomie, esprit-de-corps, and goodwill generated during the exercise will go a long way in further strengthening the bonds between both armies.