Shillong, Nov. 4 (IANS): A state-of-the-art Joint Training Warfare Centre for conducting joint exercises with foreign armies will be inaugurated at Umroi Cantonment in Meghalaya on November 6, a defence official said on Saturday.
The establishment of the training warfare centre will witnesses joint counter-terrorist training exercise between the armies of India and Bangladesh, called SAMPRITI 2017.
The Indian Army has other joint training centres in Belgaum, Vairengte and Bakloh but Umroi is the Eastern Command's first of its kind independent and fully integrated Joint Training Node for Foreign Armies.
The Joint Training Node is expected to conduct joint exercises with the Myanmar and Chinese armies planned in the latter part of next year.
"The concept was envisaged keeping in mind the conducive weather, and terrain offering optimal training environment. It has been developed at par with training centres of leading armies of the world," Shillong-based defence spokesperson, Lt Col Suneet Newton said.
He said the joint training node comprises best in class training facilities to include upcoming obstacle training course, Jungle lane shooting range and world class infrastructure comprising fully computerized and network enabled computer warfare centre and top of line accommodation facilities for foreign armies.
Newton said the project was envisaged in Umroi keeping its proximity to Guwahati and Shillong airport and was completed in record time of one year from scratch. It has been made operationally compliant for hosting "Exercise Milap", a multi- nation joint training exercise with the Bangladesh Army by Red Horn Division under the aegis of the Gajraj Corps.
Kohima-based defence spokesperson Chiranjeet Konwer said the India-Bangladesh joint military exercise aims to enhance interoperability between the two nations and learn from each other's experience while carrying out Counter Insurgency/ Counter Terrorist operations.
"The India-Bangladesh Joint Training Exercise will send a strong signal to the world that both India and Bangladesh understand the emerging threat of transnational terrorism and stand shoulder to shoulder united in countering this menace," Konwer said.
Exercise SAMPRITI 2017 has two district components -- Command Post Exercise (CPX) and Field Training Exercise (FTX).
The CPX will be conducted at Joint Training Node, Umroi from November 6-11, while FTX will be conducted at Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte, Mizoram from November 6-18.
Twenty officers each from both the Armies will participate in CPX as part of Brigade & Battalion Command Posts. FTX would include participation of one Infantry company each from the Bangladesh Army and elite Red Horns Division of the Indian Army.
CPX will focus on practising joint planning and conduct of Counter Terrorist operations in semi mountainous terrain with a special focus on drills and procedures followed while operating in dense jungles.
The FTX will emphasise on physical conditioning, training on special heliborne operations, neutralisation of Improvised Explosive Devices, Cordon and Search operations and company/ platoon level tactical drills in Counter Terrorist operations scenario.
