Army chief General Manoj Pande with officers from African countries in Pune on Wednesday. Arul Horizon THE AFRICA-INDIA Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX-2023) provided an “insight into the functional ethos and capabilities of the participating armies,” Army Chief General Manoj Pande said on Wednesday as the drills concluded in Pune.
The 10-day multilateral exercise – AFINDEX-2023 – saw the participation of 25 African nations with 124 participants, in addition to the Indian Army’s troops from Sikh, Maratha, and Mahar Regiments. The validation phase of the exercise was witnessed by General Pande along with all the African Army chiefs and representatives.
The aim of the exercise was to build positive military relations, imbibe best practices and promote the ability to operate together while undertaking the execution of Humanitarian Mine Action and Peacekeeping Operations under the United Nations mandate.
Addressing the gathering at the validation exercise, General Pande said, “Exercises like AFINDEX go a long way in helping all of us to conduct our military operations effectively in a UN environment. The focus of training on Humanitarian Mine Action has been on education and awareness, casualty evacuation, victim rehabilitation, and land release and re-use techniques. The focus of training on Peacekeeping Operations has been on understanding the mandate of these operations, mission organisation, protection of civilians, combat deployment, and legal aspects.”
He added, “Various activities witnessed today such as heliborne operations, house clearing operations, casualty evacuation, and mine clearing operations have been of the highest standard with a remarkable degree of professionalism. It is heartening to note that AFINDEX-23 is culminating on such a positive note. It has provided an insight into the functional ethos and capabilities of participating armies, thereby enabling the conduct of Humanitarian Mine Action and Peacekeeping Operations under a common UN Mandate.”