India-Russia Joint Military Exercises to Start Saturday

India and Russia are set to launch joint Indra-2015 military drills on countering international terrorism in India's largest state Rajasthan on Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The seventh Indra exercises will take place in India's northern Mahajan firing range until November 20 with the focus on the so-called Counter-Terrorism Operations in Desert Terrain under a United Nations Mandate, according to a press release of the Indian Defense Ministry.

To achieve "inter operability" in joint operations in the future, troops from an Independent Russian Motorized Brigade and Indian Army’s Infantry Battalion would initially acquaint themselves with the approach to such operations, Command and Control systems as well as each other's arms and equipment.

The drills will consist of two phases, namely "Combat Conditioning and Tactical Training" and "Validation." Senior military officials from India and Russia are expected to observe the joint exercises.

According to the Russian Southern Military District, up to 250 troops from each side will participate in the drills.

Russia and India have maintained close partnership in military and technical cooperation for decades. The two countries have been conducting joint military drills annually since 2003.