Posted on 09/16/2007 5:20:30 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Joint anti-terrorism exercises by Indian, UK forces (DPA)
16 September 2007
NEW DELHI - Special forces from Britain and India are scheduled to begin a joint exercise on Monday during which they will train to combat a guerrilla-like enemy in a region with similar rugged terrain as Afghanistan, officials and news reports said.
The 24-day exercise in the high-altitude Ladakh region in northern India, has been codenamed Himalayan Warrior, the Indian army said in a statement.
The British army, which is part of the coalition forces battling the Taleban militia in Afghanistan, had requested that the manoeuvres be held in Ladakh, unnamed Indian defence officials were quoted as saying by PTI news agency.
About 100-150 British Royal Marine commandos and an equal number of members of India’s Rapid Deployment Force would take part in the manoeuvres aimed at improving survival and operational skills at more than 5,000 metres above sea level.
The Royal Marines form part of Britain’s naval force and are also specialists in mountain and Arctic warfare.
‘This specialist environmental training is the culmination of three years interaction between the Royal Marine mountain leaders and the Indian Army High Altitude Warfare School,’ the Indian Army release said.
The exercises would involve classic commando actions like hit-and-run raids by small bands of troops, PTI reported. The thrust of the exercise would be to fine tune tactics against terrorists, officials were quoted as saying.
The training would include operations where helicopters dropped small units of troops at extreme heights and they would go through survival endurance tests while being chased by armed pursuers. The exercise will be the second joint manoeuvre held in the region, which borders China. Indian and US Special Forces held mountain warfare exercises in the same region in 2006.
Most of the Royal Marines participating in Himalayan Warrior have been drawn from contingents that have done a operational stint in Afghanistan, officials said.
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