Guwahati: The Indian Army has set up an independent and fully integrated joint training node for foreign armies in the frontier state of Meghalaya, which started its journey with a joint exercise with the Bangladesh Army.
Apart from the world-class infrastructure, the training warfare node at Umroi near Shillong also offers conducive weather and terrain to enhance the training environment for any Army.
Defence spokesperson Suneet Newton said that officers from Bangladesh Army became the first batch visitors to undergo training at the new facility.
The joint training node comprises best-in-class training facilities like jungle lane shooting range and network enabled computer warfare center, he said.
The Indian Army has built the node in a record time of one year for hosting “Exercise Milap” a joint training exercise with the Bangladesh Army. India is represented by the Red Horn Division under the aegis of the Gajraj Corps in the joint drill.
The Indian Army has other joint training centres in Belgaum in Karnataka, Vairengte in Mizoram and Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh but Umroi is Eastern Command’s first of its kind independent and fully integrated joint training node for foreign armies.
“This Umroi node will pave the away for projecting the frontier states of Meghalaya and Assam on the world map of foreign armies,” said the defence spokesperson.
Informing that 14 officers from Bangladesh Army and 20 officers from the Indian Army have been handpicked to undergo the black board exercise at Umroi Cantonment, Lt. Col. Newton said that both the contingents have displayed great enthusiasm and professionalism while carrying out discussion on various aspects related to counter insurgency operations.
Brigadier General Md. Mainur Rahman of the Bangladesh Army is the contingent commander for the visitor and Brigadier S. Sanjay is leading the Indian Army contingent.
“The camaraderie developed between the two contingents during the exercise will assist in enhancing confidence between the two armies, which may be called upon to grapple with counter insurgency operations,” said Lt. Col. Newton.
Security experts believe that India-Bangladesh joint training exercise, in its seventh edition, also sends a strong signal to the world that both India and Bangladesh understand the emerging threat of transnational terrorism.
The exercise has helped both the contingents to understand techniques, tactics and procedures followed by both the armies in counter-insurgency operations, said Lt. Col. Newton.
