News Excerpt:

India and the United States have launched a bilateral tri-service humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercise known as Tiger Triumph-24 on the eastern seaboard of the country.

About exercise Tiger Triumph-24:

• The exercise involves Indian and US Navy ships, aircrafts, and personnel.
• It comprises a Harbour Phase for training visits and exchanges, followed by a Sea Phase focusing on maritime and HADR operations.
• While the harbour phase will be carried out at Visakhapatnam, the sea phase is set to be carried out at Kakinada. 
• The exercise will be simulated to undertake HADR operations in a “friendly island nation”, where the troops will execute amphibious landing ops.

Objectives of the exercise:

• Enhance interoperability for HADR operations between India and USA.
• Refine Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Enable rapid and smooth coordination between the armed forces of both countries.

Participant forces:

• The Indian Navy is represented by ships with its integral helicopters and landing crafts as well as aircraft. 
• The Indian Army's personnel and vehicles are participating in the exercise.
• The Indian Air Force will send its aircraft and helicopters along with the Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT). 
• The US will participate with its naval ships with troops of the US Marine Corps on these ships. The United States Army is also a part of the exercise.

Other Indo-US exercises:

• Yudh Abhyas (Army): The 19th edition of the leading bilateral ground forces exercise was held in Alaska in October 2023. 
• Vajra Prahar (Army Special Forces): U.S. and Indian Special Forces soldiers have held 14 joint exercises since 2010. The most recent edition of this platoon-level exercise was held in northeastern India in November 2023.
• Cope India (Air Force): Cope India 2023, held in April, was the sixth and largest iteration ever, and included the participation of U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers and F-15 combat aircraft.
• Tarkash joint ground force counterterrorism exercise involving U.S. Special Forces and India’s elite National Security Guard troops.
• Sangam naval special forces exercise brings together companies of the U.S. Navy SEALs and the Indian Navy’s Marine Commando Force.
• Malabar (Navy): Malabar exercise was initiated in 1992 by the United States and India and expanded to include Japan in 2014 and Australia in 2020. The 27th edition, hosted by Australia in August 2023, involved naval forces from all four Quad countries.
• Milan (Navy): India hosts this biennial Bay of Bengal exercise, first held in 1994. The U.S. Navy first participated in the early 2022 edition—the largest-ever—sending a destroyer and a maritime patrol aircraft. Milan 2024 was conducted in Visakhapatnam.