India’s MARCOS and US Navy SEALs add cutting edge to Indo-US military exercises

Special Forces from US Navy’s SEAL Team Five based at San Diego and Indian Navy MARCOs from INS Abhimanyu are currently honing their skills in maritime special operations during the 7th edition of joint naval special forces exercise Sangam which began in Goa, last week.  

Even though a joint exercise among US SEALs, MARCOs and other participating nations’ Naval Special Forces is held annually as part of Exercise Malabar, the Sangam series is a bilateral exercise purely between the US and Indian Special Forces.

It was first conducted in 1994 and is an important military and diplomatic initiative between the two nations, reflective of the trust and friendship between them.

During the exercise, both forces will be involved in Maritime Interdiction Operations, Direct Action Missions, Combat Free Fall Jumps, Special Heliborne Operations, and various other evolutions.

The Sangam began just about the same time US and Indian Army successfully concluded the 18th edition of Yudh Abhyas joint military exercise in Uttarakhand which reinforced their commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, improved interoperability, and took the India-US defence partnership to new heights.

Wasington maintains that India is its key strategic partner and their defence relationship is a key component and one of the major pillars of the bilateral partnership.

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