Flag officer commanding in eastern fleet Rear Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Commander Escort flotilla-4 in Jap... Read More

NEW DELHI: India is trying to strike a fine balance between the US and Russia, in terms of strategic ties and defence deals as well as combat exercises . Apart from this counter-balancing, India is also stepping-up military ties with the third pole, China, amid the ongoing geopolitical churn.

"India has been a late-starter in defence diplomacy but is now making all-out efforts despite budgetary, bureaucratic and other constraints. Indian Navy warships, for instance, have made 113 foreign port calls and held 16 exercises/coordinated patrols with different navies this year," said a senior defence official.

In fact, by the time this year ends, India would have held exercises with all the P-5 countries (US, Russia, China, France and UK), apart from other powerhouses like Australia, Japan, South Africa and Brazil as well as Asean countries like Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

"I don't think any other country has held such a staggering number of exercises with so many nations this year. The exercises promote strategic cooperation, military outreach, confidence-building and interoperability," said the official.

In December alone, the Indian armed forces have chalked up a hectic schedule for exercises with the US, Russia and China, among others. First off the block will be the "Cope India" between the Indian and American air forces at the Kalaikunda and Arjan Singh airbases in West Bengal from December 3 to 14.

While IAF is deploying its fighters like Sukhoi-30MKIs, Jaguars and Mirage-2000s as well as other aircraft like Phalcon AWACS, C-130Js and IL-78 refuelers, the USAF has dispatched 12 F-15 jets and three C-130H planes for Cope India. "The exercise showcases US and India's efforts and commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region," said a US official.

Next, the IAF and Russian Air Force will conduct the second leg of their "AviaIndra" exercise at Jodhpur from December 10 to 22 after the first was held at Lipetsk in Russia in September. India and China, in turn, will resume their annual "Hand-in-Hand" land exercise at Chengdu military region from December 10 to 23 after the freeze due to the Doklam troop stand-off near the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet trijunction last year.

That's not all. Russian warships will head for India's east coast to hold the "Indra" wargames towards end-December, even as the Indo-UK "Konkan" naval exercise is currently underway off Goa.

This flurry of exercises comes after India in September and November held the "Yudh Abhyas" combat drills with the US Army at Chaubatia (Uttarakhand), the "Indra" mechanised infantry maneuvers with Russia at Babina and the first-ever land military exercise with Japan called "Dharma Guardian" at Vairengte (Mizoram).

These have been followed by the ongoing "Vajra Prahar" combat drills with the US Special Forces at the Mahajan field firing ranges since November 19. India this year has also held exercises with several other countries ranging from Kazakhstan (KazInd) and Mongolia (Nomadic Elephant) to Nepal (Surya Kiran) and Bangladesh (IN-BN CORPAT).

