Shillong, May 20 (IANS) A multilateral military exercise, ‘PRAGATI 2026’, involving armed forces personnel from 12 friendly nations, commenced on Wednesday at the Umroi Military Station in Meghalaya, officials said.

The two-week-long exercise has brought together participants from Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Vietnam to strengthen regional cooperation, interoperability and strategic coordination among the participating countries.

Defence spokesman Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said that the multilateral military exercise ‘PRAGATI 2026’, which stands for partnership of regional armies for growth and transformation in the Indian Ocean Region, is being conducted in the spirit of equality, friendship and mutual respect.

The exercise provides a common platform for participating armies to engage in professional exchange, learn from one another’s experiences and build closer military-to-military ties, he said.

The opening ceremony was attended by senior military officials and dignitaries. In his address, Major General Sunil Sheoran, Additional Director General of Infantry, Indian Army, welcomed all contingents and highlighted the importance of collective engagement in addressing contemporary security challenges.

He encouraged all participants to engage with openness, mutual respect and a willingness to learn from one another’s experiences, while highlighting that the strengths and perspectives brought by each nation would contribute meaningfully towards achieving the collective objectives of the exercise.

According to Lt Col Rawat, the objectives of the exercise include enabling seamless coordination among participating nations in joint operations and identifying common areas of cooperation; sharing expertise and establishing an institutionalised mechanism for the exchange of best practices evolved through individual experiences.

The exercise is being held to strengthen defence ties and camaraderie through joint training and cultural exchange, and evolving common concepts for management and sharing of intelligence in a multinational environment.

The two-week-long exercise will focus on counter-terrorism operations in semi-mountainous and jungle terrain.

The defence spokesman said that the training programme will include joint planning exercises, tactical-level drills and coordinated operations designed to improve adaptability, endurance and tactical proficiency of participating troops.

Emphasis will be laid on physical fitness, discipline and coordination while operating in challenging conditions.

As part of the exercise, Indian technology and defence companies will showcase indigenous equipment and innovations under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and highlighting India’s growing capabilities in defence production, innovation and self-reliance, the official said.

Exercise ‘PRAGATI 2026’ is expected to further strengthen military-to-military cooperation, deepen professional bonds and contribute towards a shared approach to common security challenges among regional partners, Lt Col Rawat pointed out.

–IANS

sc/dpb