Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023: Indian and Malaysian armies commence joint bilateral exercise in Meghalaya

A joint bilateral training exercise of Indian and Malaysian armies has commenced in Meghalaya’s Umroi Cantonment to enhance military capability for conduct of multi-domain operations in a sub-conventional scenario. The ‘Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023’, began on Monday and will continue till November five with the Malaysian contingent comprising troops from the 5th Royal Battalion of the Malaysian army and the Indian contingent represented by a Battalion of the Rajput Regiment, a defence release said on Tuesday. The previous edition of the exercise was conducted in Pulai, Kluang, Malaysia in November 2022. The exercise will engage approximately 120 personnel from both sides with both contingents establishing a joint command post and an integrated surveillance grid along with a Joint Surveillance Centre. Both sides will rehearse the employment of joint forces in jungle, semi-urban, urban environments. In addition, intelligence collection, collation and dissemination drills will also be rehearsed. The exercise will also witness the employment of drones/UAVs and helicopters. Both sides will also practice casualty management and evacuation drills, discuss logistics management and practice survival training at the battalion level. The training will focus primarily on a high degree of physical fitness, conduct of drills at the tactical level and sharing of best practices with each other. The exercise will culminate with a 48-hour-long validation exercise in a semi-urban area. This exercise is aimed to enhance the level of defence cooperation between Indian and Malaysian armies along with fostering bilateral relations between the two nations, the release added.