IBNS-CMEDIA: The 18th edition of the India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant commenced on Monday at the Foreign Training Node in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
The annual platoon-level exercise, conducted alternately in India and Mongolia, is scheduled to take place from September 21 to October 3, 2026. The previous edition was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in May-June 2025.
The Indian Army and the Mongolian Armed Forces are represented by 45 personnel each in the exercise.
The exercise aims to enhance the joint military capabilities of both sides to undertake counter-insurgency operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a United Nations mandate.
The joint training programme will focus on tactical-level operations, the exchange of best practices, refinement of operational drills and strengthening interoperability between the two forces.
The training curriculum will include Cordon and Search Operations, Room Intervention Drills, Special Heliborne Operations, cyber security training, and the employment of drones and counter-drone systems, among other activities.
These drills will provide personnel from both armies with an opportunity to train together in realistic operational scenarios while strengthening their ability to conduct joint operations.
Exercise Nomadic Elephant 2026 is expected to further deepen defence cooperation between India and Mongolia and reinforce the longstanding bonds of friendship and mutual trust between the two countries.
