Start of Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023
The joint bilateral training exercise "Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023" between the Indian and Malaysian armies began at Umroi Cantonment in Meghalaya. The Malaysian contingent comprises soldiers of the 5th Royal Battalion of the Malaysian Army. The Indian contingent is being represented by a battalion of the Rajput Regiment. The last edition of the exercise was held in November 2022 at Pulai, Kluang, Malaysia.
The Malaysian Army's participation in “Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023” was marked by soldiers of the 5th Royal Battalion of the Malaysian Army. Their inclusion underlines Malaysia's commitment in fostering international military relations and promoting cooperative exercises.
Objective of Exercise Harimau Shakti 2023
The X Harimau force, scheduled for 5 November 2023, will consist of approximately 120 personnel from both sides. It aims to enhance military capability to conduct multi-domain operations in sub-conventional scenarios. During the exercise, both teams will set up a joint command post and establish an integrated surveillance grid with a joint monitoring centre.
Both sides will rehearse the deployment of joint forces in jungle/semi-urban/urban environments. Apart from this, intelligence information collection, compilation and dissemination exercises will also be practiced. Drones/UAVs and helicopters will also be used in this exercise. Both sides will also conduct casualty management and evacuation exercises. Both the teams will discuss logistics management and survival training exercises at the battalion level.
The training will mainly focus on maintaining a high level of physical fitness, conducting exercises at the tactical level and sharing best practices with each other. The exercise will conclude with a 48-hour long validation exercise in a semi-urban area.