The Indian Army contingent is set to partake in a two-week multinational military exercise called ‘ZAPAD 2021’ taking place at Nizhny in Russia. This event represents one of the theater level exercises of the Russian Armed Forces and is primarily centered on operations against terrorists. The exercise will involve a number of countries from the Eurasian and South Asian Region, with the aim of enhancing military and strategic ties amongst the participating nations.
Participating Countries
Several nations will take on an active role in the exercise, entering as Participating Countries. These include Mongolia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Russia, India, and Belarus. Each country will contribute its own contingent to work alongside others in a show of global unity against terrorism.
Observer Nations
Participation isn’t limited to active military involvement. Eight countries will also be participating as Observer Nations: Pakistan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, and Sri Lanka. While these countries won’t be directly involved in the drills, their presence serves to show support for the exercise and its objectives.
India’s Role in ZAPAD 2021
The NAG Battalion group from India will be participating in the exercise. This regiment is part of the Naga Regiment, a celebrated infantry regiment within the Indian Army. Their involvement underscores India’s commitment to strengthening international military relationships and working collaboratively to combat threats of terrorism.
Previous Participation
This isn’t the first time India has engaged in such military exercises. The country also participated in TSENTR 2019. This exercise forms part of the annual series of large-scale exercises integral to the Russian Armed Forces’ yearly training cycle.
Military Exercise between India and Russia
In addition to these multinational collaborations, India and Russia also conduct more focused exercises between themselves. One of these is Indra 2021— a Joint Tri-Services Exercise involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force of both countries. These interactions further illustrate the significant military bonds that exist between India and Russia, as they work towards shared strategic objectives.
The information for this article was sourced from PIB (Press Information Bureau), a nodal agency of the Government of India.
Through such multinational military exercises like ZAPAD 2021, nations come together, exchanging strategies and strengthening their bonds. This enhances global readiness against common threats, demonstrating that in the face of adversity, unity prevails above all.
