Source: DD News
Subject: Security
Context: India is conducting multiple high-profile military exercises in early 2026—including Exercise Khanjar, Exercise Agni Pariksha, and Exercise Vayu Shakti-2026—highlighting enhanced operational readiness, jointmanship, and defence diplomacy.
About Military exercises in news:
About Exercise Khanjar:
- Host / Location: India | Missamari, Assam
- Participants:
- Indian Army – Parachute Regiment (Special Forces)
- Kyrgyzstan – ILBRIS Special Forces Brigade
- Aim: To enhance interoperability and operational synergy in counter-terrorism and special forces operations.
- Key features:
- Annual bilateral exercise held alternately in India and Kyrgyzstan (13th edition).
- Focus on urban warfare, mountain warfare, sniping, and complex building intervention.
- Strengthens India–Central Asia defence cooperation and counter-terrorism collaboration.
About Exercise Agni Pariksha:
- Host / Location: India | Sigar, Arunachal Pradesh
- Participants:
- Indian Army
- Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
- Aim: To familiarise non-artillery personnel with artillery procedures and improve inter-force combat integration.
- Key features:
- First-of-its-kind joint training exposing infantry and ITBP to artillery firing missions.
- Breaks traditional role silos and enhances firepower coordination and joint operational trust.
- Focused on future battlefield requirements and integrated combat capability.
About Exercise Vayu Shakti-2026:
- Host / Location: India | Pokaran Field Firing Range, Rajasthan
- Participants:
- Indian Air Force (IAF) units from across the country
- Aim: To demonstrate IAF’s air-power capability, operational strategy, and precision strike readiness.
- Key features:
- Largest day-to-night air-power exercise of the IAF.
- Participation of 120+ aircraft and helicopters, including Rafale, Su-30 MKI, Tejas, Mirage-2000, Apache, Chinook, and Dhruv.
- Execution of Offensive & Defensive Counter Air, SEAD, precision strikes, airborne command (AWACS), and Para-commando airdrops.
- Showcase of indigenous systems such as Akash air defence.
