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NEW DELHI — An Indian Army contingent will be a part of a multinational tri-services joint military exercise 'Bright Star- 23' in the Middle East. This military exercise will take place in Egypt and is scheduled to be conducted from 31 August to 14 September at Mohammed Naguib Military Base.
Defence Ministry (MoD) that 34 countries will participate in the exercise and it will be the largest ever joint military exercise in the Middle East and North Africa region.
MoD said that this is for the first time that the Indian Armed Forces are participating in exercise Bright Star with a total strength of 549 personnel. The Indian Army is being represented by a contingent from 23 JAT Battalion.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]It said that the Army's contingent comprising 137 personnel departed for Egypt on Tuesday. It is a multinational tri-services joint military exercise that will be led by US CENTCOM and the Egyptian Army. It was initially conceptualised as a bilateral biennial training exercise between the US and Egypt during the Camp David Accord of 1977.
The first edition of the exercise was conducted in the year 1980 in Egypt. From 1995 onwards the exercise was expanded for participation by other nations. The previous exercise ‘Bright Star’ was conducted in the year 2021 wherein forces of 21 countries participated, the official added.
The exercise will comprise a large number of training activities focused on combating emerging unconventional threats and enhancing regional partnerships amongst participating nations aimed at maintaining world peace.
In addition to the various field and situational training exercises, exercise Bright Star- 23 will also include a combined arms live firing exercise based on a tactical setting. A panel discussion on contemporary topics is also planned to be conducted on cyber security for which the Indian armed forces are the lead force.
The exercise will provide a unique opportunity for the Indian Army to share best practices and experiences with other armies besides enhancing defence cooperation. Indian Army looks forward to an enriching professional experience from the Exercise, the official added.