Jodhpur: In an exercise aimed at jointmanship, Special Forces of the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy carried out drills in the deserts of Rajasthan over the last five days.
Exercise Desert Hunt 2025, was conducted by Air Force Station Jodhpur between February 24 and February 28.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) officials said that the exercise provided an opportunity to personnel of the three armed forces to work to jointly develop strategies and techniques that would come in handy during real operations. “The aim of this integrated Tri-Service Special Forces exercise was to build synergy and cooperation among the three units. The participants included Para Special Forces personnel from the Army, Marcos marine commandos from the Navy and Garud commandos from the Air Force. All three units have their own specialisations. Once all these specialisations are brought together, operational capability increases. During the Exercise, the three Special Forces participated together in a simulated combat environment,” a senior official said.
While the Para Special Forces are primarily trained for land-based operations, the Marcos are experts in seaborne exercises. The Garuds are extensively trained in taking over enemy airbases and retaining their hold till reinforcements arrive.
Exercise Desert Hunt 2025 witnessed landing of commandos by parachute as well as insertion by air through other means, precision strikes, hostage rescue, counter-terrorism operations, combat free falls and urban warfare scenarios, during which the combat readiness of the Forces was tested under realistic conditions.
“This high-intensity drill was aimed at enhancing interoperability, coordination and synergy among the three Special Forces units to ensure swift and effective response towards emerging security challenges. Senior military officials supervised the Exercise to validate joint doctrines, and it also provided a platform to foster the commitment of the Indian Armed Forces to strengthen national security through seamless inter-service cooperation,” the official added.
