India-Uzbekistan Joint Military Exercise | April 2025
📍 What is Exercise DUSTLIK?
- Annual bilateral military exercise between India and Uzbekistan.
- Started in 2019 to strengthen defence cooperation and interoperability.
- Conducted alternatively in India and Uzbekistan.
Previous edition (DUSTLIK-V): Termez District, Uzbekistan (April 2024).
Current edition (DUSTLIK-VI): Foreign Training Node, Aundh (Pune) – April 16, 2025.
👥 Participants
- India:
o60 personnel.
Troops from JAT Regiment + Indian Air Force (IAF).
- Uzbekistan:
Troops from the Uzbekistan Army.
🎯 Theme of DUSTLIK-VI (2025)
“Joint Multi-Domain Sub-Conventional Operations in a Semi-Urban Scenario”
Focus Areas:
- Joint counter-terrorism drills.
- Battalion-level coordination.
- Simulated scenarios of:
Territorial capture by hostile elements.
Sub-conventional warfare in semi-urban terrain.
🧭 Significance
- Strengthens strategic cooperation and mutual trust.
- Enhances interoperability in counter-terrorism and urban combat.
- Part of India’s Central Asia outreach and defence diplomacy.
