India-Vietnam joint military exercise begins in Ambala

The 5th edition of the bilateral Indian Army exercise in Vietnam “VINBAX 2024” began in Ambala on Monday. The exercise will be held from November 4-23 at Ambala and Chandimandir.

In a statement by the Union Ministry of Defense through PIB, the exercise is a continuation of the earlier bilateral exercise held in Vietnam in 2023 and a major milestone in strengthening India-Vietnam relations.

“This edition marks a significant increase in scope with Bi Service level participation for the first time by Army and Air Force personnel from both countries. The Indian Army contingent of 47 personnel is represented by one regiment of the Corps of Engineers along with personnel from other arms and services. The Vietnamese contingent comprising a similar force will be represented by the troops of the People’s Army of Vietnam,” the statement said.

“The purpose of VINBAX-2024 is to enhance the joint military capability of both parties in the employment and deployment of engineer company and medical teams to perform engineering tasks as part of the United Nations contingent in peacekeeping operations under Chapter VII of Charter of the United Nations.” he added.

The ministry said that conducting VINBAX-2024 as a field training exercise with an increased scale compared to the previous editions of the bilateral exercise will strengthen mutual trust and interoperability and enable exchange of best practices between the Indian Army and the Vietnam People’s Army.

“A 48-hour validation exercise with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief demonstration and display of equipment is also part of the program to assess the standards achieved by both contingents while executing military technical operations in similar scenarios in UN missions. The joint exercise will also provide an opportunity for troops of both contingents to learn about each other’s social and cultural legacies,” he added.