India and Australia have begun the fifth edition of the AUSTRAHIND joint military exercise at the Foreign Training Node in Kerala. The exercise is scheduled to continue through 1 November and involves approximately 120 personnel from each army.
The Indian contingent includes troops from the Garhwal Rifles along with personnel from other arms and services. Australia's contingent is drawn from the 13th Brigade, giving the exercise a combined strength of roughly 240 participants.
This year's theme covers joint sub-conventional operations in island and coastal environments under a Chapter VII United Nations mandate. Planned activity includes joint operational planning, tactical drills and combat-oriented training incorporating aerial and maritime dimensions.
The Ministry of Defence says the exercise is intended to improve interoperability, cooperation and mutual trust. Those aims will be tested through the participants' ability to coordinate procedures, communications and decision-making under the simulated operating conditions used during the exercise.
