Indian Contingent Heads to Kazakhstan for KAZIND-2026 Military Drill

A 60-member Indian Armed Forces contingent has departed for Oskemen, Kazakhstan, to take part in the ninth edition of the India–Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise KAZIND-2026, scheduled from 28 September to 11 October 2026.

The Indian team is drawn mainly from a battalion of the Garhwal Rifles, supplemented by troops from other arms and services as well as personnel from the Indian Air Force. The Kazakhstan Armed Forces will field a contingent of matching strength, composed primarily of personnel from its Land Forces.

The exercise is designed to improve interoperability and build the combined capacity of the two forces to conduct joint counter-terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under a United Nations mandate.

KAZIND-2026 will concentrate on joint counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain. Training will emphasise joint planning and execution, air mobility, and the integrated use of Unmanned Aerial Systems along with counter-UAS capabilities.

Participating troops will rehearse coordinated responses to terrorist actions, raids, search-and-destroy missions, cordon-and-search operations, the securing of helipads and landing sites, and Special Heliborne Operations, among other tasks.

The drill will also feature the setting up of a Joint Command Post and an Intelligence and Surveillance Centre to support coordinated planning and execution. The training will conclude with a comprehensive validation exercise in which both contingents jointly apply rehearsed tactics, techniques and procedures against a simulated terrorist threat.

The exercise is expected to allow both sides to draw on each other's operational experience while strengthening professional bonds, mutual trust and camaraderie. It also aims to deepen military-to-military cooperation between India and Kazakhstan and reinforce their shared commitment to regional peace, stability and collective security.