The Indian Army is conducting a joint bilateral armour exercise, codenamed Exercise Bold Kurukshetra 2012, with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) at Babina Field Firing Range in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.
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The 8th month long bilateral exercise, which commenced on 1 March 2012, involves participation from more than 750 personnel as well as infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and main battle tanks (MBTs) from SAF’s 46th armoured regiment and Indian army’s 27th Armoured Brigade.
The two armies are conducting joint planning and training, as well as executing integrated manoeuvres, as part of the exercise in addition to integrated live-firing drills.
The SAF had deployed its Bionix 1 infantry fighting vehicle and mortar tracked carrier for the drills and both armies also enhanced skills in the area of anti-militancy operations besides matching each other’s capability in artillery fire power.
Exercise Bold Kurukshetra is being conducted in three phases and aims to validate interoperability between the two armies in offensive operations and also underscores the warm and growing defence relationship between the two nations.
The two countries also regularly interact through several exhibitions, conferences, seminars and also frequently conduct exchange programmes in staff courses and training activities, besides conducting joint wargames.
The last edition of the exercise, held in March 2011, included multi-tiered planning, use of new generation equipment and joint execution of mission by artillery batteries and combat groups.
The annual exercise is part of a defence co-operation agreement signed between the two nations in 2003, for expanding military cooperation, conducting joint military training, developing military technology and achieving maritime security.
Image: SAF personnel conduct live-firing with the Mortar Tracked Carrier as part of Exercise Bold Kurukshetra 2012 at Babina Field Firing Range. Photo: MINDEF Singapore.
