India-Mongolia joint military exercise Nomadic Elephant begins in Pithoragarh

Pithoragarh: The 18th edition of India-Mongolia joint military exercise Nomadic Elephant began on Monday at the Foreign Training Node in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, with 45 personnel from each country taking part.

The annual platoon-level exercise will be conducted from September 21 to October 3, with India and Mongolia hosting the exercise alternately. The previous edition was held in Ulaanbaatar in May-June 2025.

The exercise aims to enhance the operational capabilities of both armies for counter-insurgency operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a United Nations mandate.

The training programme will focus on tactical-level operations, sharing of best practices, refining operational drills and improving interoperability between the two forces.

Troops will participate in exercises including cordon-and-search operations, room intervention drills and special heliborne operations. The programme will also include training in cyber security, drone operations and counter-drone systems.

The forces will conduct joint drills in realistic operational scenarios, providing an opportunity to understand each other’s procedures and strengthen their ability to operate together.

The exercise is expected to further deepen defence cooperation between India and Mongolia and reinforce the longstanding ties of friendship and mutual trust between the two countries.