Africa-India Field Training Exercise starts in Pune

The second edition of the Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX- 2023) involving India and 23 African countries started here on Tuesday.

As many as 100 participants from Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, Senegal, Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe are attending the exercise, a defence release said.

Lieutenant General Rakesh Kapoor, VSM, Corps Cdr, Desert Corps, addressed the participants.

The theme of the exercise is ''humanitarian mine action and peacekeeping operations,'' the release said.

The primary focus of the joint exercise will be on tactical drills, procedures and the ability to operate jointly with seamless interoperability.

India would also be conducting the Defence Chief's conclave on the sidelines from March 28 to 30, the statement said.

Maximum use of indigenous equipment is being made during the exercise. New generation equipment manufactured in India will be showcased during the exercise to give a feel of its efficacy to the troops of the participating nations, it said.