Paris: Joint Indian and French troops were engaged in a tug of war during the eighth edition of the Indo-French Joint Military Exercise Shakti at Camp Larzac in France's La Cavalerie. The video of tug of war between the army personnel from the two nations surfaced online.
The eighth edition of the biennial India-French Joint Military Exercise 'Shakti' commenced on June 18 and concluded on July 1. Exercise Shakti-VIII underscored the growing defence cooperation between India and France and strengthened strategic ties between the two friendly nations.
The exercise marked the successful completion of an intensive training engagement aimed at enhancing interoperability, mutual trust, and tactical coordination between the Indian and French Armies.
The Indian contingent, comprising 90 personnel, was represented primarily by a Battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, besides personnel from other arms and services. The French contingent, comprising 90 personnel represented by personnel from the 13th Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (13th DBLE). They participated in a series of mission-oriented drills tailored to sub-conventional operations.
The engagement included combat shooting, urban warfare training, obstacle crossings, Electronic Warfare (EW) integration, and Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) operations.
Exercise Shakti is a biennial training engagement between the Indian and French Armies, aimed at enhancing interoperability, operational coordination, and military to military connect.
The eighth edition focused on joint operations in a sub-conventional environment under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, with training being conducted in semi-urban terrain.
About Exercise Shakti:
The exercise provided a platform for both contingents to rehearse and refine tactical drills, share best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs), train on new generation equipment (contemporary military technologies) and strengthen physical endurance. It also fostered esprit-de-corps, mutual respect and professional camaraderie between the two armies.
