The 5th edition of the Vietnamese Indian Army’s bilateral exercise “VINBAX 2024” began in Ambala on Monday. The exercise will take place from November 4 to 23 in Ambala and Chandimandir.

In a statement from the Union Ministry of Defense through PIB, the exercise is a follow-up to a previously conducted bilateral exercise in Vietnam in 2023 and a major step in strengthening India-Pakistan relations. Vietnam.

“This edition marks a significant increase in scope with the participation for the first time at the Bi Service level of Army and Air Force personnel from both countries. The 47-strong Indian Army contingent is represented by an engineering corps regiment as well as personnel from other arms and services. The Vietnamese contingent, composed of similar numbers, will be represented by the troops of the Vietnamese People’s Army,” the statement said.

“The objective of VINBAX-2024 is to strengthen the joint military capacity of the two sides in the employment and deployment of engineering companies and medical teams to undertake engineering tasks as part of the United Nations contingent responsible for peacekeeping operations under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. » he added.

The ministry said that the conduct of VINBAX-2024, as a field training exercise with increased scope compared to previous editions of bilateral exercises, will enhance mutual trust and interoperability and enable sharing of best practices between the Indian Army and the Vietnamese People’s Army.

“A 48-hour validation exercise with demonstration of humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and equipment presentation is also part of the program to assess the standards achieved by the two contingents while executing operations technical military personnel in similar scenarios in UN missions. The joint exercise will also provide the opportunity for troops from both contingents to familiarize themselves with each other’s social and cultural heritage,” the text adds.