Exercise Vajra Prahar has evolved as a mechanism to exchange ideas and share best practices
Personnel from the Indian Army and the US Army Special Forces have come together for the 14th Edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise Vajra Prahar. It aims at sharing best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics, India's Ministry of Defence said.

Joint exercise Vajra Prahar 2023 commenced at the Joint Training Node in Umroi Cantonment, Meghalaya on Tuesday (November 21, 2023). It will continue till December 11, 2023.

The US contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) of US Special Forces. The Indian Army contingent is led by Special Forces personnel from the Eastern Command, the Ministry of Defence said. 

During the course of the next three weeks, both sides will jointly plan and rehearse a series of Special Operations, Counter Terrorist Operations, Air Borne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain. 

According to the Ministry of Defence, key highlights include ‘Combat free fall insertion of troops from stand-off distances’, ‘Water borne insertion of troops’, ‘Precision engagement of targets at long ranges’, ‘Combat air controlling of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft’ besides ‘Airborne insertion and sustenance of troops’.

"Exercise Vajra Prahar has evolved as a mechanism to exchange ideas and share best practices between the Special Forces of both the nations. It is also a platform to enhance inter-operability and strengthen defence cooperation between the armies of India and the United States of America," the ministry noted.

The first edition of Exercise Vajra Prahar was conducted in 2010 in India while the 13th edition of the exercise was conducted at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.