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India, US to hold joint military exercise at Fort Bragg in 2013 - Indian Express
As many as 400 Indian Army soldiers
would arrive at Fort Bragg home to
airborne and special operations forces in
the United States next year, to hold a
joint annual military exercise.
The fortnight long "Yudh Abhyas" from
May 3 to 17 is an exchange of combat
units between the two countries with
each of them hosting it every alternate
year.
Some 400 American soldiers would attend
the joint exercise.
The purpose of the exercise will be
bilateral operations, the exchange of ideas
and developing the ability to work side by
side, Lt Gen Francis J Wiercinski, the
commanding general of US Army Pacific
in Hawaii, told The Fayetteville Observer
in a recent interview.
"Last year, we had a Stryker unit in India
with the Indians," he said.
The US soldiers worked with an Indian
mounted cavalry unit.
"It was almost seamless, like they had
been working together for years," he
added.
"They've done competitions squad,
platoon. It's a pretty good exercise. It's
evolving every year. Now at Fort Bragg,
North Carolina, with the 82nd Airborne
Division, I think it will be a tremendous
opportunity," the top US military leader
said.
Wiercinski said most of the time they
have been doing the joint exercise in the
Pacific.
"We wanted to give them a different
flavor and a different location, and Fort
Bragg was kind enough to offer it up," he
added.
Soldiers from the 18th Airborne Corps and
California National Guard also will
participate, the newspaper said.
Observing that the US has a "budding
relationship" with India, Wiercisnki said.
"For years, we did not work together.
Now, we are re-establishing a
relationship. It's a very good relationship.
They have a tremendously professional
army, a lot of the same equipment.
"The two armies could be called upon to
work together in the future, he told The
Fayetteville Observer. We're not looking
for missions," he said.
"What we are looking for is just
cooperation and exchange and making
sure we understand each other and
keeping the dialogue and the engagement
open," he added
Wiercinski asserted that the India-US joint
military exercise will have no impact on
US relations with Pakistan.
"They know about our exercises. We have
a relationship with Pakistan. We have a
relationship with India," he added.
As many as 400 Indian Army soldiers
would arrive at Fort Bragg home to
airborne and special operations forces in
the United States next year, to hold a
joint annual military exercise.
The fortnight long "Yudh Abhyas" from
May 3 to 17 is an exchange of combat
units between the two countries with
each of them hosting it every alternate
year.
Some 400 American soldiers would attend
the joint exercise.
The purpose of the exercise will be
bilateral operations, the exchange of ideas
and developing the ability to work side by
side, Lt Gen Francis J Wiercinski, the
commanding general of US Army Pacific
in Hawaii, told The Fayetteville Observer
in a recent interview.
"Last year, we had a Stryker unit in India
with the Indians," he said.
The US soldiers worked with an Indian
mounted cavalry unit.
"It was almost seamless, like they had
been working together for years," he
added.
"They've done competitions squad,
platoon. It's a pretty good exercise. It's
evolving every year. Now at Fort Bragg,
North Carolina, with the 82nd Airborne
Division, I think it will be a tremendous
opportunity," the top US military leader
said.
Wiercinski said most of the time they
have been doing the joint exercise in the
Pacific.
"We wanted to give them a different
flavor and a different location, and Fort
Bragg was kind enough to offer it up," he
added.
Soldiers from the 18th Airborne Corps and
California National Guard also will
participate, the newspaper said.
Observing that the US has a "budding
relationship" with India, Wiercisnki said.
"For years, we did not work together.
Now, we are re-establishing a
relationship. It's a very good relationship.
They have a tremendously professional
army, a lot of the same equipment.
"The two armies could be called upon to
work together in the future, he told The
Fayetteville Observer. We're not looking
for missions," he said.
"What we are looking for is just
cooperation and exchange and making
sure we understand each other and
keeping the dialogue and the engagement
open," he added
Wiercinski asserted that the India-US joint
military exercise will have no impact on
US relations with Pakistan.
"They know about our exercises. We have
a relationship with Pakistan. We have a
relationship with India," he added.
