Dustlik exercise wraps up in Namangan: India-Uzbek drills focus on counter-terrorism
The 7th India-Uzbekistan DUSTLIK joint military exercise ended in Namangan with validation drills, aimed at improving joint operations, counter-terror skills, and interoperability.
NAMANGAN, Uzbekistan — The 7th edition of the India-Uzbekistan Joint Military Exercise Dustlik has concluded at the Gurumsaray Field Training Area in Namangan, Uzbekistan, with a final validation exercise and closing ceremony, according to Misryoum.
The Dustlik exercise was designed to strengthen joint operational readiness against unlawful armed groups, while also creating a structured space for both sides to compare best practices in counter-terrorism.. Beyond the final ceremony, the most telling part for observers was how the training tried to connect planning, execution, and communication between two different armed forces.
Misryoum reports that the Indian contingent had departed for the exercise on April 12.. The delegation comprised 60 personnel, including 45 from the Indian Army—mostly from a battalion of the MAHAR Regiment—and 15 from the Indian Air Force.. The Uzbekistan side fielded a similar-sized contingent, with around 60 personnel from its army and air force.
A central theme of the 7th Dustlik edition was preparedness for joint operations in semi-mountainous terrain.. Training in such conditions tends to be more than just a change of scenery; it forces troops to adapt movement, navigation, and tactical timing to uneven ground and shifting visibility—factors that can quickly determine whether teams stay coordinated under pressure.
Misryoum said the exercise emphasized high physical fitness, joint planning, joint tactical drills, and core special-arms skills.. The training also focused on building a unified operational approach between the two contingents’ command-and-control structures, aimed at smoothing the path from orders to actions during joint missions.
Operational training areas included land navigation, strike missions targeting enemy bases, and the seizure of enemy-held areas.. In parallel, the Indian contingent used the opportunity to become familiar with Uzbekistan Armed Forces procedures and drills, while sharing its own operational experiences—an exchange that often matters because differences in standard operating rhythms can create friction when units operate side by side.
One detail that stood out in the exercise design was the 48-hour validation component.. Misryoum reports it was intended to validate tactical drills for joint operations, particularly Preparation and Execution of Joint Special Operations with a stated aim of neutralising unlawful armed groups.. Validation drills are typically where training shifts from “learning steps” to “testing whether the steps still hold together” under realistic timelines and coordinated objectives.
For both countries, cooperation like Dustlik reflects a practical security calculation: counter-terror and internal security challenges rarely respect borders, and joint capability matters most when communication, command procedures, and tactical understanding can be aligned quickly.. It also signals that interoperability—how seamlessly forces can plan and operate together—continues to be treated as a measurable goal, not just a political statement.
Looking ahead, exercises conducted in terrain similar to what forces may encounter in real scenarios can shape how future planning is conducted, including the way teams rehearse movement, targeting, and area control.. When command-and-control structures are trained together alongside tactical drills, the expectation is that the gap between “joint” on paper and “joint” in the field narrows each time the two militaries meet.