A 60-member Indian Armed Forces contingent has departed for Oskemen, Kazakhstan, to participate in the ninth edition of the India-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise KAZIND-2026. The exercise began on September 28 and is scheduled to continue until October 11, 2026, with both countries fielding contingents of 60 personnel.
The Indian contingent is drawn primarily from a battalion of the Garhwal Rifles and includes personnel from other arms and services, along with members of the Indian Air Force. Kazakhstan is participating with a contingent of matching strength, mainly comprising personnel from its Land Forces.
KAZIND-2026 is designed to improve interoperability and strengthen the joint operational capabilities of the Indian and Kazakh armed forces. A major focus of the exercise is joint counter-terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under a United Nations mandate.
The participating forces will conduct training in semi-urban and mountainous terrain, with emphasis on joint planning and execution. The exercise will also involve air mobility and the integrated employment of unmanned aerial systems and counter-unmanned aerial systems capabilities.
During the exercise, the troops will practise coordinated responses to simulated terrorist threats. The training includes raids, search-and-destroy missions and cordon-and-search operations. Personnel will also train in securing helipads and landing sites, as well as conducting Special Heliborne Operations and other mission-specific activities.
A Joint Command Post and an Intelligence and Surveillance Centre will be established as part of the exercise. These facilities will support coordinated operational planning, information-sharing and execution between the two contingents.
The exercise will conclude with a comprehensive validation exercise in which Indian and Kazakh forces will jointly employ the tactics, techniques and procedures rehearsed during the training against a simulated terrorist threat.
KAZIND has been conducted annually since 2016, when it was initially instituted as Exercise Prabal Dostyk. The previous edition, KAZIND-2024, was conducted at Auli in Uttarakhand, while the 2023 edition was held at Otar in Kazakhstan.
KAZIND-2026 provides an opportunity for the armed forces of India and Kazakhstan to exchange operational experience, improve battlefield coordination and strengthen professional ties. The exercise also forms part of the broader military-to-military cooperation between the two countries.