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The Indian Air Force and the Royal Thailand Air Force are participating in the Indo-Thailand Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Table Top Exercise 2017 from May 22 to 26 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Group Captain Sucharu Rai VM leads the IAF contingent of eleven members. This is the second time the 2 Air Forces have done something similar.
The bilateral exercise’s goal is to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for organising and implementing relief operations in natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. The goal is to improve interoperability between the two Air Forces when conducting joint air operations in a disaster. This paper will cover the reasons for conducting the Indo-Thailand SIAM Bharat air force exercise and its significance.
Details on India-Thailand Military Ties
In the most recent defence contact involving the two Asian countries, India and Thailand launched this year’s iteration of a joint army exercise on August 6. Despite current obstacles, the drills highlighted the continuous security partnership between the two nations as part of their larger bilateral relationship.
With the signing of a memorandum of agreement on defence ties between the two countries in January 2012 and a variety of exercises, combined patrols, meetings, and discussions, India and Thailand already have created a solid foundation for defence cooperation.
However, despite the institutional limits, both sides have been striving to strengthen security relations in recent years, in line with larger developments in their foreign policy and the area more broadly.
Exercise Maitree is a fundamental interaction between the army and the rest of the relationship. The practice has recently lasted approximately two weeks and involved roughly 100 troops representing the Indian Army and the Royal Thailand Army. Ex Maitree-17, the previous edition, took place in July last year in Bakloh in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, with roughly 50 personnel from both the Indian & Thai sides.
The exercise aims to sharpen tactical and technological capabilities in combined counterinsurgency and terrorist operations in urban and rural environments, as per the Indian defence ministry.
With a rising emphasis on maritime safety, offensive and counterterrorism activities, joint patrols, and manpower exchanges in instruction, Thailand has appeared a positive sign in India’s extensive array of security alliances. Increased cooperative actions and strengthening interoperability aim to match India’s Act East policy with Thailand’s Look West policy, both of which arose in the last decades of the 20th century.
What are the Reasons for Conducting the Indo-Thailand Siam Bharat Air Force Exercise?
In such exercises, our armed forces are portrayed by numerous units Or battalions, which are chosen depending on the type and requirements of the exercise. The amount of money spent varies depending on the size of our involvement and the equipment deployed during exercises.
Military exercises involving friendly nations result in positive operational engagements and improve the capabilities of our military services in a variety of warfighting areas by allowing them to work alongside armed forces from other countries. During such drills, contemporary tactical and technological methods, techniques, and so forth are exchanged.
Military exercises help forces comprehend one another’s exercises and processes, bridge language hurdles and familiarise themselves with equipped capabilities on the combat front. It also allows for on-the-job instruction of each other’s crews and better knowledge and familiarity with new technology that other nations may be using.
This is especially beneficial in joint operations, whether in conflict or in processes other than war, such as humanitarian aid, disaster response, anti-piracy, and so forth, when countries come together over a shared cause. A good example is aid supplied by several countries in the aftermath of the tsunami in Southeast Asia when a large air, land, or sea rescue operation was carried out to bring relief to the devastated countries.
What is the Significance of the Indo-Thailand Siam Bharat Air Force Exercise?
This is the second time the two Air Forces have participated in such a drill. The goal of the bilateral practice is to develop SOPs for implementing relief operations in the event of natural disasters such as tsunamis, landslides, thunderstorms, floods, and other environmental catastrophes.
The goal is to improve interoperability between the two Air Forces while conducting joint air campaigns in a crisis. At different phases of relief operations, the exercise will aid in developing procedures and establishing decision support systems.
Conclusion
It comprises tactical drill training, preparation, implementation, and conversations with specialists on both sides on related problems, as in past rounds of the exercise.
Following Operation Maitree, the two sides will continue defence ties throughout the year, both as part of their bilateral ties and the broader regional activities. The Bay of Bengal Initiative on Multi-Sectoral Technical & Economic Cooperation will hold the first military exercise throughout September.
