India and Vietnam today began the third edition of their joint army exercise, Ex VINBAX 2022, just weeks after the two sides signed a vision statement to enhance defence cooperation to enforce international law in their neighbourhood. The exercise began today in Chandimandir and will continue until August 20.
A press release by the Indian Ministry of Defence called it a “major milestone” in bilateral relations, referring to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in 2016 and defence cooperation. The previous edition was held in 2019 in Vietnam.
This year’s exercise focuses on the “employment and deployment” of an engineering company and a medical team, which form part of the United Nations (UN) Contingent for Peacekeeping Operations.
Indian Defence Ministry statement: pic.twitter.com/F4dNEZtO17
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) July 31, 2022
In this regard, the press release highlighted India’s “rich legacy” of deploying troops to UN missions and said India can “impact [UN] training incorporating best practices and hands on training” to other countries’ prospective peacekeeping teams at “tactical, operational, and strategic levels.”
The Ex VINBAX – 2022 has an “enhanced scope” compared to the previous iterations, with a focus on “strengthening mutual confidence, interoperability, and sharing best practices.”
The two sides have also held a 48-hour validation exercise to “assess the standards achieved by both contingents while executing technical military operations under similar scenarios in UN missions.”
In the coming days, they will conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief demonstration to “showcase India’s capacity” in mitigating the impacts of natural and manmade disasters by using “indigenous solutions.”
Indian Army to hold exercises in August with the armies of Oman 🇴🇲 & Vietnam 🇻🇳, the two strategically important countries for India. #IndianArmy pic.twitter.com/M8f9UsMOBf
— Mayank 🇮🇳 (@scribesoldier) August 1, 2022
Vietnam shares historically cordial ties with India and has in recent times become a crucial partner in India’s Act East and Indo-Pacific policies. Both countries have found common ground in their rivalry with China, as Hanoi has territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea. They have also emerged as alternatives to China in the global supply chain.
Keeping their burgeoning ties in mind, in June, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang signed a ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’. The meeting in Hanoi sought to “significantly enhance the scope and scale of existing defence cooperation.” The pair also signed an MoU on Mutual Logistics Support that was hailed as a “major step towards simplifying procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support.”
Glad to attend the ceremony marking the successful completion of the project to build 12 High Speed Guard Boats for Vietnam Border Guard at Hong Ha Shipyard in Vietnam today.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 9, 2022
This project is a shining example of our ‘Make in India and Make for the World mission. pic.twitter.com/dv3gYkLScf
Furthermore, Singh signed a $500 million line of credit to improve Vietnam’s defence capabilities and agreed to provide the Vietnamese Border Guard with 12 high-speed boats.
Running parallel to bilateral exercises with Vietnam, the Indian Army is also participating in the fourth edition of the India-Oman Joint Military Exercise “AL NAJAH-IV” at the Foreign Training Node of Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan from August 1 to August 13. 60 army personnel from Oman’s Parachute Regiment will participate in the exercise, while India will be represented by 18 troops from the Mechanised Infantry Battalion.
The Indian Army released a statement highlighting that the scope of the drill includes “professional interaction, mutual understanding of drills & procedures, establishment of joint command & control structures and elimination of terrorist threats.” It will largely focus on countering terrorism, ensuring regional security, and conducting peacekeeping operations under the UN.
Delighted to call on the President of Vietnam, H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi today. India and Vietnam continue to work on the basis of remarkable convergences and deep mutual trust to develop an even stronger cooperative agenda. pic.twitter.com/mlBRs8xaBH
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 8, 2022
Like with the India-Vietnam exercise, the joint drills with Oman begin with a 48-hour-long validation exercise that will include setting up “joint mobile vehicle check posts, joint cordon and search operations followed by joint room intervention drills in a built up area.”
Oman has emerged as a critical partner for New Delhi and has assisted the Indian Navy in its anti-piracy exercises across the Arabian Sea. It has also provided access to its Duqm port, allowing India to enhance its maritime capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region.