Idaho sees Indian special forces train with US Army counterparts

Nov 4

Ryan Robertson Anchor, Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor, Reporter)

Special operators from India, which has the world’s second largest military, are spending most of November in Idaho. The soldiers are training alongside their American counterparts from the U.S. Army Special Forces in an exercise known as Vajra Prahar.

In Sanskrit, “vajra” can mean diamond or thunderbolt, and “prahar” is a measurement of time.

Both the Army Special Forces and Indian army are sending 45 soldiers to take part in the joint exercise, which is taking place at Orchard Combat Training Center in southwest Idaho. The mountainous region will be the backdrop of the 15th edition of Vajra Prahar.

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Special forces soldiers don’t conduct what might be considered “traditional warfare.”

Special operations forces are trained to work in small teams to take on big challenges. As such, previous iterations of Vajra Prahar focused on things like combat free fall (CFF) insertions from standoff distances. That’s when soldiers parachute in from a safe distance and avoid detection. Water insertions were also covered previously.

The Indian Ministry of Defense said Vajra Prahar 2024 will drill on things like planning a joint team mission and reconnaissance missions, where operators might need to call in outside resources for help. Tasks like that usually fall on the shoulders of the joint terminal attack controller, or JTAC. Indian special forces soldiers are also learning this valuable information. Aerial resupply using drones and topics surrounding psychological warfare will also be drilled during Vajra Prahar.

Similar to other joint exercises held between U.S. and Indian forces, the Indian government said Vajra Prahar enables the two sides to share best practices and experiences for conducting a joint special forces operation. It also promotes greater interoperability and camaraderie between soldiers of both countries.

Vajra Prahar is the second joint exercise between the U.S. and Indian Army this year. It is scheduled to run through Nov. 22.

Tags: India, Military Defense, Military Drills, U.S. military

[Ryan Robertson]

SPECIAL OPERATORS FROM THE WORLD’S SECOND LARGEST MILITARY ARE SPENDING MOST OF NOVEMBER IN IDAHO, TRAINING ALONGSIDE THEIR U.S. COUNTERPARTS FROM THE U.S. ARMY SPECIAL FORCES IN AN EXERCISE KNOWN AS VAJRA PRAHAR.

IN SANSKRIT, ‘VAJRA’ CAN MEAN DIAMOND OR THUNDERBOLT, AND ‘PRAHAR’ IS A MEASUREMENT OF TIME.

BOTH THE ARMY SPECIAL FORCES AND INDIAN ARMY ARE SENDING 45 SOLDIERS TO TAKE PART IN THE JOINT EXERCISE, WHICH IS TAKING PLACE AT ORCHARD COMBAT TRAINING CENTER IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO. THE MOUNTAINOUS REGION WILL BE THE BACKDROP OF THE 15TH EDITION OF VAJRA PRAHAR.

NOW, THE THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIERS IS THEY DON’T CONDUCT WHAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER ‘TRADITIONAL WARFARE.’

SPECIAL OPERATORS ARE TRAINED TO OPERATE IN SMALL TEAMS TO TAKE ON BIG CHALLENGES. AS SUCH, PREVIOUS ITERATIONS OF VAJRA PRAHAR FOCUSED ON THINGS LIKE COMBAT FREE FALL INSERTIONS FROM STANDOFF DISTANCES. THAT’S WHEN SOLDIERS PARACHUTE IN FROM A SAFE DISTANCE AND AVOID DETECTION.
WATER INSERTIONS WERE ALSO COVERED PREVIOUSLY.

THE INDIAN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE SAYS VAJRA PRAHAR 2024 WILL DRILL ON THINGS LIKE PLANNING A JOINT TEAM MISSION AND RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS, WHERE OPERATORS MIGHT NEED TO CALL IN OUTSIDE RESOURCES FOR HELP. TASKS LIKE THAT USUALLY FALL ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE JOINT TERMINAL ATTACK CONTROLLER–OR JTAC–SO THE INDIAN SPECIAL FORCES ARE ALSO LEARNING ABOUT THAT AS WELL. AERIAL RESUPPLY USING DRONES AND TOPICS SURROUNDING PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE WILL ALSO BE DRILLED DURING VAJRA PRAHAR.

SIMILAR TO OTHER JOINT EXERCISES HELD BETWEEN U.S. AND INDIAN FORCES, THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT SAID VAJRA PRAHAR ENABLES THE TWO SIDES TO SHARE BEST PRACTICES AND EXPERIENCES FOR CONDUCTING A JOINT SPECIAL FORCES OPERATION. IT ALSO PROMOTES GREATER INTEROPERABILITY AND CAMARADERIE BETWEEN SOLDIERS OF BOTH COUNTRIES.

VAJRA PRAHAR IS THE SECOND JOINT EXERCISE BETWEEN THE U.S. AND INDIAN ARMY THIS YEAR. IT IS SCHEDULED TO RUN THROUGH NOVEMBER 22ND.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M RYAN ROBERTSON. FOR MORE OF OUR UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING, BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY, OR LOG ON TO SAN.COM.