NEW DELHI: In a first-of-its-kind independent Special Forces exercise between India and the United States, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the United States Air Force (USAF) have successfully conducted Exercise "Tiger Claw" across North India.
The IAF on Wednesday said the exercise, aimed at strengthening the partnership between the two Air Forces, began on May 26 and concluded at the Garud Regimental Training Centre (GRTC).
During the two-week-long joint exercise, the two forces engaged in mutual exchange of best practices in special operations, conducted joint training, and built interoperability capabilities, the IAF added.
Conducted at various locations in North India from 26 May to 10 June, the IAF said, “The objective of the exercise included expanding partnership, mutual exchange of best practices in special operations, and joint training between the two Air Forces to develop interoperability.”
It must be noted that tigers are revered in many cultures for their strength and dominance, making their “claws” a potent symbol of power and authority.
The GRTC is a crucial facility for training the IAF's elite Special Forces unit, the Garud Commandos, and is situated at Air Force Station, Chandinagar, in Uttar Pradesh.
There are institutional exchanges and training programmes between the armed forces of the two countries at various levels. As far as the two air forces are concerned, they also conduct several air exercises, including the bilateral Cope India, and participate in other multinational drills such as Tarang Shakti and Red Flag.
At a broader level, in terms of the integrated war structure, focused work is ongoing to formalise the Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD). This includes wargaming of specialised scenarios to develop drills and operating procedures, enabling the special forces of each service to operate jointly.
Commando integration exercises are currently underway to develop common operational procedures. Given the sensitivity and significance of the Special Forces, it will take some time to reach a highly specialised level, sources added.
The role of commandos is to swiftly destroy high-value targets, both within and outside the country, with precision and secrecy.
The AFSOD, approved in 2019, comprises Special Forces from the Army, Navy, and Air Force. As reported by this newspaper earlier, AFSOD will initially consist of about 3,000 commandos drawn from the Army's Parachute Regiment, the Navy’s MARCOS, and the Air Force's Garud Commandos. It is expected to be based in Agra, which already houses the Parachute Brigade.