India-Mongolia Joint Military Drill Nomadic Elephant Begins in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh

The 18th edition of the India-Mongolia joint military exercise Nomadic Elephant began on September 21 at the Foreign Training Node in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. The exercise will run until October 3, with 45 personnel each from the Indian Army and Mongolian Armed Forces participating. The annual drill focuses on strengthening joint capabilities for counter-insurgency operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a United Nations mandate. Training will cover cordon-and-search operations, room intervention drills, special heliborne operations, cyber security, drones and counter-drone systems. The exercise also aims to improve interoperability, exchange operational practices and strengthen coordination between the two forces. The previous edition was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in May-June 2025. The latest exercise is expected to further reinforce the longstanding defence partnership and mutual trust between India and Mongolia.