India, Malaysia Conduct "Battle Hardening" Sessions In Joint Exercise

A major joint exercise between Indian and Malaysian armies is underway in Meghalaya to increase inter-operability between personnel of both forces. Exercise HARIMAU, a joint exercise between Indian and Malaysian armies is being conducted at the Foreign Training Node at the Umroi Cantonment in Meghalaya and will conclude on November 5. The joint exercise started on October 23. 

The contingents are conducting "battle hardening" work sessions by putting personnel in combat conditions to cover a multi-domain operation in a sub-conventional environment. The forces are conducting firing drills and undergoing tactical training in the joint exercise to bring synergy and interoperability among the armies. 

The focus of the joint exercise is to carry out special training of troops in jungle warfare including - Heliborne operations, rock climbing and jungle survival techniques, reflex shooting and deployment of snipers in jungle operations. 

The Indian army shared a video of a jungle lane shooting exercise, in which a buddy pair of Indian and Malaysian army personnel in combat gear, is stealthily moving forward and communicating through hand gestures and firing on a hideout in a jungle. 

To test the rigours of the jungle, a squad formation of both armies conducted an overnight raid in the jungle. Moving in pairs, an officer and soldiers from the Rajput regiment of the Indian army and troops from the Malaysian army, emerge from water and move forward toward the target and in their night raid.

The contingents are also focusing on Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and counter-IED drills and the Army Marshal Art Routine (AMAR), in their special training for jungle warfare. 

The armies conducted a simulated tactical operational raid on insurgent hideouts and conducted a cordon and search operation during the three days at Umroi.

Missions were tracked on computer screens while simulated insurgent groups fought back to create a real-life combat situation. 

Exercise HARIMAU also involved every asset of the Infantry, Engineers, Artillery, Medical and Signals and Logistics unit of the army. The joint exercise looks at tabletop planning and focuses on unit commanders' and staff officers' abilities in operational plan formulations. 

The joint training would culminate in a 48-hour validation exercise which aims to rehearse and validate the tactical drills in a simulated sub-conventional environment, the Indian Army said in a statement.