An Indian Army contingent will leave today for Mongolia to participate in the multinational joint military exercise, Exercise KHAAN QUEST 2026, scheduled to be held from 20 June to 3 July at the Five Hills Training Area in Ulaanbaatar.
The Defence Ministry said the exercise aims to enhance interoperability and cooperation among participating militaries in peace support operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
The Indian Army contingent comprises 40 personnel, including troops from a battalion of the JAT Regiment and personnel from other Arms and Services.
The previous edition of the exercise was conducted in June last year in Mongolia. The exercise first started as a bilateral event between USA and Mongolian Defence Forces in the year 2003.
Subsequently, from the year 2006 onwards, the exercise graduated to a Multilateral Peacekeeping Exercise with the current one being the 23nd iteration. The participation by an Indian contingent reflects India’s steadfast commitment to global peace and strategic partnership with Mongolia.
The aim of Exercise KHAAN QUEST is to prepare contingents of participating Defence Forces for peacekeeping missions while operating in a multilateral environment.
The exercise will focus on conduct of joint planning and tactical drills such as establishment of static and mobile check points, cordon and search operations, patrolling, evacuation of civilians from hostile areas, counter improvised explosive device drills, combat first aid and casualty evacuation.
Exercise KHAAN QUEST will enable the participating countries to share their best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures for conduct of joint operations. The exercise will facilitate operational readiness, bonhomie and camaraderie between soldiers of the participating countries.