The Mercian Regiment
3 MERCIAN - Indian Army Exercise on SPTA - 2008 3
Picture: General Deepak Kapoor receives a ground briefing during the military demonstration exercise at Copehill Down on Salisbury Plain.
INDIAN ARMY EXERCISE ON SALISBURY PLAIN
For the first time in over 60 years soldiers from the Indian Army are training with British troops on Salisbury Plain. Nearly 140 men from the Punjab-based 16 Mechanised Infantry Battalion are exercising with 3rd Battalion (Staffords) The Mercian Regiment (3 MERCIAN) acting as Ôthe enemyÕ in a major military training exercise.
The role of 3 MERCIAN, as the Land Warfare Centre Battle Group, is to assist and support the training of all Army units on Salisbury Plain Training Area. The Battalion uses its expertise to provide fighting troops to test exercising units and if necessary crew a wide variety of military vehicles.
The Indian soldiers from Bravo Company, 16 Mech Inf Bn, arrived at the end of August from their base in Batiala, Punjab, and will remain in the UK for a month, based at Westdown Camp on Salisbury Plain. Commanded by Major Ganesh Raghavan, the Company has been trained to operate in a range of environments including the desert, mountains and plains. Recently the unit became the first infantry battalion to operate at high altitude (up to 15,000 feet) in the state of Sikkim, which lies in the Himalayas.
In the UK they have been taking part in two significant exercises - EX LIONS STRIKE, the culmination of the Combined Arms Tactics Course at Warminster that provides training for Combat and Combat Support Arms sub-unit commands; and EX WESSEX WARRIOR which consists of a continuous scenario with three or four missions over a five-day period conducted against a motivated opposing force, in this case the Indian Army Company forming part of 3 MERCIAN Battlegroup.
India is a key strategic partner with whom the UK enjoys a close professional defence relationship. This relationship is carried forward in an ongoing programme of training opportunities, exercises, exchanges and visits. Indian Army participation in Exercises LIONS STRIKE AND WESSEX WARRIOR is a routine part of the bilateral defence activity.
ENDS
Crown Copywight © 2008
High resolution photos, including more from this album are stored on our Flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/82868128@N03/sets/
3 MERCIAN - Indian Army Exercise on SPTA - 2008 3
Picture: General Deepak Kapoor receives a ground briefing during the military demonstration exercise at Copehill Down on Salisbury Plain.
INDIAN ARMY EXERCISE ON SALISBURY PLAIN
For the first time in over 60 years soldiers from the Indian Army are training with British troops on Salisbury Plain. Nearly 140 men from the Punjab-based 16 Mechanised Infantry Battalion are exercising with 3rd Battalion (Staffords) The Mercian Regiment (3 MERCIAN) acting as Ôthe enemyÕ in a major military training exercise.
The role of 3 MERCIAN, as the Land Warfare Centre Battle Group, is to assist and support the training of all Army units on Salisbury Plain Training Area. The Battalion uses its expertise to provide fighting troops to test exercising units and if necessary crew a wide variety of military vehicles.
The Indian soldiers from Bravo Company, 16 Mech Inf Bn, arrived at the end of August from their base in Batiala, Punjab, and will remain in the UK for a month, based at Westdown Camp on Salisbury Plain. Commanded by Major Ganesh Raghavan, the Company has been trained to operate in a range of environments including the desert, mountains and plains. Recently the unit became the first infantry battalion to operate at high altitude (up to 15,000 feet) in the state of Sikkim, which lies in the Himalayas.
In the UK they have been taking part in two significant exercises - EX LIONS STRIKE, the culmination of the Combined Arms Tactics Course at Warminster that provides training for Combat and Combat Support Arms sub-unit commands; and EX WESSEX WARRIOR which consists of a continuous scenario with three or four missions over a five-day period conducted against a motivated opposing force, in this case the Indian Army Company forming part of 3 MERCIAN Battlegroup.
India is a key strategic partner with whom the UK enjoys a close professional defence relationship. This relationship is carried forward in an ongoing programme of training opportunities, exercises, exchanges and visits. Indian Army participation in Exercises LIONS STRIKE AND WESSEX WARRIOR is a routine part of the bilateral defence activity.
ENDS
Crown Copywight © 2008
High resolution photos, including more from this album are stored on our Flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/82868128@N03/sets/