Joint Indo-Russian airborne exercises begin in Agra
Vijay Upadhyay
Agra. The joint Indo-Russian airborne exercises -- INDRA-2005 -- began at the Malpura dropping zone of Kheria Airforce base in Agra early morning on Friday.
India's 50th Independent Paratrooper brigade led Lt General S Pattabhiraman, the Deputy Chief of Indian Army and the 76th Russian Airborne division led by Col Gen Alexander Kalmakov, Chief, Russian Airborne Division began exercise began at 8.30 am on Friday. The two chiefs made the first jump along with a dozen other paratroopers of both sides.
Later, talking to media persons, Lt General Pattabhiraman informed that this exercise is a precursor to the intense land-based exercise that will start at the Mahajan field firing ranges at Suratgarh in Rajasthan two days later.
The aim of this exercise is to ensure that in case of a situation which demands mutual cooperation between the troops of the two countries against urban terrorism, both are familiar with each other's weapons, equipment, strategies etc. In today's exercise, he said, the Indian paratroopers used Russian parachutes, while the Russian paratroopers used the parachutes of their counterparts.
He said that such operations would help in developing the skills of the troops of both countries in handling terrorism as India had Kashmir as the flashpoint of terrorism, while Chechnya was stuck like a sore wound in the Russian back.
According to the Army headquarter, the exercises are being conducted in phases and the Agra exercise was a part of the first phase that began on 10th October and shall end on the 15th. Immediately, the second phase of the exercise shall begin from 16th October, which shall be a sort of anti-terror exercise involving the destruction of terrorist strongholds and preparation of landing grounds for massive infiltration through the air.
According to Brigadier Deepak Sinha, Commander, 50th Independent Para Brigade, which is based at Agra itself, the Indo-Russian relations have always been friendly and inter-cooperative in terms of military and technological advancements and these jumps, which were being termed as "friendship jumps" would serve to highlight this friendship between India and Russia.
(UNITED NEWS NETWORK)
For any queries or feedback - univijay@rediffmail.com, 9412282297, 9319108697
Agra. The joint Indo-Russian airborne exercises -- INDRA-2005 -- began at the Malpura dropping zone of Kheria Airforce base in Agra early morning on Friday.
India's 50th Independent Paratrooper brigade led Lt General S Pattabhiraman, the Deputy Chief of Indian Army and the 76th Russian Airborne division led by Col Gen Alexander Kalmakov, Chief, Russian Airborne Division began exercise began at 8.30 am on Friday. The two chiefs made the first jump along with a dozen other paratroopers of both sides.
Later, talking to media persons, Lt General Pattabhiraman informed that this exercise is a precursor to the intense land-based exercise that will start at the Mahajan field firing ranges at Suratgarh in Rajasthan two days later.
The aim of this exercise is to ensure that in case of a situation which demands mutual cooperation between the troops of the two countries against urban terrorism, both are familiar with each other's weapons, equipment, strategies etc. In today's exercise, he said, the Indian paratroopers used Russian parachutes, while the Russian paratroopers used the parachutes of their counterparts.
He said that such operations would help in developing the skills of the troops of both countries in handling terrorism as India had Kashmir as the flashpoint of terrorism, while Chechnya was stuck like a sore wound in the Russian back.
According to the Army headquarter, the exercises are being conducted in phases and the Agra exercise was a part of the first phase that began on 10th October and shall end on the 15th. Immediately, the second phase of the exercise shall begin from 16th October, which shall be a sort of anti-terror exercise involving the destruction of terrorist strongholds and preparation of landing grounds for massive infiltration through the air.
According to Brigadier Deepak Sinha, Commander, 50th Independent Para Brigade, which is based at Agra itself, the Indo-Russian relations have always been friendly and inter-cooperative in terms of military and technological advancements and these jumps, which were being termed as "friendship jumps" would serve to highlight this friendship between India and Russia.
(UNITED NEWS NETWORK)
For any queries or feedback - univijay@rediffmail.com, 9412282297, 9319108697
Comments