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Indo-US infantry exercises begin at India`s Variangate

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, March 27, IRNA -- On the heels of the India-US Air Force 
Fighter Exercise, India and the US on Saturday begin their first 
infantry exercise on "Low Intensity Conflict Operations in Jungle 
Terrain." 
According to a press release of the defense wing of the Press 
Information Bureau, a copy of which was received by IRNA earlier 
Saturday, the 10-day exercises code-named Yudh Abhyas (War Exercises) 
will involve a platoon of the US Infantry Regiment of the US Army and 
will begin at Vairangte, in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram. 
The exercise will be conducted under the aegis of the Counter 
Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJW). 
A reciprocal exercise, scheduled in July 4 in the US, is presently
in the planning stages. It will involve an infantry platoon from the 
Indian Army that will participate in the US battalion level "Field 
and Live Fire Exercise." 
According to the release, post December 2001 an impetus was given 
to the defense cooperation between the two countries as a result of 
which five platoon/company level army exercises have been conducted 
both on Indian and US soil during the past two years. 
The exercises have promoted mutual understanding and has also 
advanced cooperation in areas of mutual interest. The latest exercise 
will help in further building inter-operability between the two forces
in jungle terrain, the release added. 
The exercises will herald the US infantry`s maiden participation 
as previously held exercises have had mainly a Special Forces focus. 
The exercise itself will consist of several phases including a 
training phase, when the initial days of the exercise will be 
utilized for familiarization, cross and joint training, slithering 
and firing. 
Later, both sides will undertake exercises in unconventional 
operations as well as mock intelligence, counter intelligence 
and psychological warfare in a simulated insurgency and terrorist 
environment. 
The emphasis will also be on "fighting deployment" for which the 
teams will employ helicopters for insertion and disengagement, the 
release said. 
The release further said that with other reciprocal exercises on 
Indian and US soil in the pipeline, the two countries have decided to 
progressively increase the scope and content of their joint exercises 
under the policy guidance of the Defense Policy Group and Military 
Coopertion Group. 
In May 2002, India and the US began their first joint military 
exercises at the Indian Army`s Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare 
School (CIJWS) at Vairangte. 
After the September 11 attacks on the US, at CIJWS the last few 
batches from the special operations units of the US Army and Air 
Force got something of an extra-specific training on terrorist 
groups, their operations, and tactics. 
At the CIJWS, officers are taught how to raid terrorists` hideouts
in jungles, plains, deserts and heavily populated urban areas. They 
are also given knowledge on techniques to engage terrorists in all 
sorts of terrain, the Indian Army officer added. 
The CIJWS was established on May 1, 1970 at the initiative of 
India`s Field Marshall Sam Maneckshaw, who was then the GOC-in-C of 
Eastern Command. Its motto is `Fight The Guerrilla Like a Guerrilla`. 
2160/LS/210 
End