The exercise aimed at increasing bilateral defence cooperation between India and the US

The 13th edition of the India-US Joint Special Forces Exercise ‘VAJRA PRAHAR’ concluded at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the 21-day cooperative training gave the Special Forces from both countries the chance to train in joint settings in accordance with the United Nations Charter for Airborne Missions, Special Operations, and Counter-Terrorism operations.

The exercise was divided into two phases: the first part featured combat conditioning and tactical-level training for special operations, and the second phase included a 48-hour validation of the instruction that both contingents had received in the first phase.

The Ministry said both Indian and American contingents were extremely pleased with the exercise's results, particularly the standards attained and the sharing of best practices when both contingents undertook joint training, planning, and execution of a number of mock operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.

The statement added that exercise VAJRA PRAHAR with the US Special Forces is crucial as both nations are now facing security problems.

It also added that the bilateral defence cooperation between India and the US has increased as a result of the joint military exercise, which has further enhanced the long-standing camaraderie between the special forces of both countries.

Every year, India and the US take turns in hosting this exercise. The 12th edition took place in October 2021 at Joint Base Lewis-McCord in Washington.