Indian Army tweeted, “#IndianArmy contingent will participate in Multi Nation Exercise #ZAPAD2021 held at Nizhniy, Russia from 03 to 16 September 2021. Countries from Eurasia and South Asia will participate in the same exercise” on 1 September 2021.
Indian Army is all set to take part in 17 multi-nation military exercises ‘Zapad’, which will begin on 3 September. It will be for two- weeks and ends on 16 September.
Russia will hold the exercise at Mulino Training Ground in Nizhniy, 423 km east of Moscow.
In the nation military exercise- Zapad, 17 countries will mainly focus on anti-terror operations.
According to the Indian Army, China and Pakistan will also participate in Zapad 2021 as observers, not as participants.
The annual exercise beginning on 3 September, will have 200 personnel from the Indian Army’s Naga Battalion enhancing their skills with the other 17 nations.
Indian Army (Zapad 2021)
The defence ministry announces a contingent of 200 personnel of the Indian Army is ready to participate in national military exercise from 3 September to 16 September.
From India, 200 Army personnel, primarily from Naga Regiment, are preparing to participate in Zapad 2021.
Before Russia, the Indian Army imposed the Indian Contingent with a demanding training schedule that included all facets of conventional operations, including mechanised, counter-terrorism, airborne, heliborne, combat conditioning and firing.
The Naga Battalion group joining in the exercise will feature an all Arms joined task force.
The Zapad 2021 exercise objects to boost military and strategic ties amongst the participating nations.
Russian Army (Zapad 2021)
The exercise serves as a cornerstone to the Russian Army annual training cycle, tests Russia’s four main strategic commands, i.e.Zapad (West), Vostok (East), Tsentr (Centre) and Kavkaz (Caucasus).
ZAPAD is one of the Russian Army’s theatre level exercises that focuses on the operation against terrorists.
Russia invited 17 countries, including India, nine participating countries and eight observers.
The participating countries are Mongolia, Serbia, Russia, India, Tajikistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia. Other eight observer countries include China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Uzbekistan.
The aim of the exercise comprises professional exchange, planning and accomplishment of operations in counter-terrorism, and sharing of proficiency.
Tsentr
From 2019, 9th to 23 September, 140 members of the Indian Army contingent participated in Exercise Tsentr at Orenburg in Russia, comprising two modules. The first module comprised repelling airstrikes, counter-terror operations, reconnaissance operations and defensive measures. In the second module, offensive actions were included.
Kavkaz
India had withdrawn out of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Kavkaz exercise held in Russia in September of last year. Chinese and Pakistani troops were scheduled to participate in the combat drills.
The Kavkaz exercise’s withdrawal had come amid heightened pressures during the military conflicts with China in Eastern Ladakh after the violent clashes took place in Galwan valley on 15 June.
India stayed away in Kavkaz also due to the raised pandemic situation then.
Since then, India and China have commenced troop disentanglement on both sides of the Pangong Tso as well as Gogra; however, there is still a deadlock over the other friction points at Hot Springs, Demchok and Depsang Plains, while the overall cutback along the Line of Actual Control is not on the horizon yet.
