Indian, US Special Forces to begin 3-week drill in Himachal from February 23

The 16^th edition of Exercise Vajra Prahar 2026, a joint Special Forces drill between the Indian Army and the United States Army, will be held at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh Cantonment in Himachal Pradesh from February 23 to March 15.

The three-week exercise is designed to deepen defence cooperation, enhance interoperability, and strengthen joint operational readiness. It will also provide a platform for the exchange of advanced special operations tactics, techniques, and procedures, according to the Indian Army.

The exercise will enhance combined capabilities in executing joint Special Forces operations in desert and semi-desert environments, and focus on high degree of physical fitness, joint planning, and tactical drills. Planning joint missions, reconnaissance, employment of unmanned aerial systems, execution of special operations, joint terminal attack control, and psychological warfare in special operations are other aspects of the drill.

The 15^th edition of Exercise Vajra Prahar was conducted from November 2-22, 2024, at the Orchard Combat Training Centre in Idaho, US, in which 45 personnel each from the Indian Army’s Special Forces and the US Army’s Green Berets had participated.

The Indian Army’s Special Forces primarily comprise the Para Commandos of the elite Parachute Regiment, with its 15 regular battalions, two Territorial Army battalions, and a Rashtriya Rifles battalion.

In addition, the Army has recently raised the Bhairav light commando battalions that bridge the gap between traditional line infantry and Special Forces, trained for hybrid warfare, targeted disruption missions, cross-border strikes, rapid response, drone operations, surveillance and reconnaissance.

The US Army commandos include the Green Berets, the Rangers, the First Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta, an anti-terrorist unit popularly known as the Delta Force, and the 160^th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Both countries also have their own special forces, such as the Marine Commando Force and Garud in the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, SEALs in the US Navy and Force Recon in the US Marines.

Apart from Vajra Prahar, another major India-US army exercises include Exercise Yudh Abhyas, which focuses on high-altitude and cold-weather operations, drone operations, anti-terrorist missions, and tactical drills. Bilateral tri-service exercises like Tiger Triumph focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and drills involving the navies such as Malabar and Sea Dragon and the air forces such as Cope India and Red Flag.