JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE-LAMITIYE 2026

JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE-LAMITIYE 2026

Why this news?

• An Indian military team has reached Seychelles to take part in Exercise LAMITIYE – 2026.
• The exercise is conducted between the Indian Armed Forces and the Seychelles Defence Forces.
• It will be held from 9 March to 20 March 2026 at the Seychelles Defence Academy.

WHAT IS EXERCISE LAMITIYE?

• Exercise LAMITIYE is a joint military training exercise between India and Seychelles.

Meaning of the name

• “LAMITIYE” means “Friendship” in the Creole language.

Key features

• It is a biennial exercise (held every two years).
• The exercise started in 2001.
• It is usually conducted in Seychelles.

PARTICIPATION IN 2026 EXERCISE

• The 2026 edition is special because all three services of India’s military are participating.
• Indian participants
  • Soldiers from the Assam Regiment
  • Personnel from the Indian Navy
  • Personnel from the Indian Air Force
• Important equipment involved
  • INS Trikand
  • Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft
• This shows tri-service cooperation from India.

OBJECTIVES

• The exercise aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
• Main goals
  • Improve military coordination between the forces.
  • Practice joint operations in difficult environments.
  • Share skills, experience and best practices.
• The exercise mainly focuses on sub-conventional operations.

What are sub-conventional operations?

These are military operations that deal with threats such as:

• Terrorism
• Insurgency
• Irregular armed groups

TRAINING ACTIVITIES DURING THE EXERCISE

The 12-day exercise includes several activities:

1. Field Training Exercises
2. Combat discussions
3. Case studies
4. Lectures and demonstrations
5. Tactical drills

These drills help soldiers practice real battlefield situations.

FOCUS ON SEMI URBAN WARFARE

• A major focus of the exercise is operations in semi-urban areas.
• Semi-urban areas are places that have:
  • Some urban features like buildings
  • But also open or rural surroundings.
• Military forces train to:
  • Neutralize threats
  • Use modern equipment and technology
  • Conduct coordinated operations

FINAL VALIDATION

• The exercise will end with a two-day validation exercise.
• In this stage:
  • Soldiers apply everything they learned.
  • They perform full mission simulations.
• This helps check readiness and coordination.

IMPORTANCE FOR INDIA SEYCHELLES RELATIONS

The exercise helps to:

• Strengthen defence cooperation between India and Seychelles
• Improve interoperability between armed forces
• Build mutual trust and understanding
• Enhance security cooperation in the Indian Ocean region

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