India and Oman are set to enhance their defence cooperation with “Al Nagah-II 2017” – the second joint exercise between the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman.
The “Al Nagah-II 2017” will be conducted between 6 and 19 March in Dauladhar ranges at Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh.
It follows the first joint exercise that was held in Oman in January 2015 and aims to enhance Army-to-Army relations, improve ability to conduct joint operations and exchange skills and experience.
Oman is an important country in the Gulf and is India’s maritime neighbor. India and Oman share historical bonds and strong commercial ties.
Oman is among the first Gulf countries with which Indian armed forces have conducted joint exercises.
The joint naval exercise “Naseem Al-Bahr” to increase interoperability to counter maritime security challenges was first conducted in 1993 and its tenth edition was held in January 2016.
Indian Naval ships have regularly visited Muscat including in September 2015 when the four ships of Western Fleet INS Deepak, Delhi, Tabar and Trishul made a joint call at the Muscat port.
Indian Air Force and Royal Air Force of Oman have been conducting regular joint exercises since 2009. The latest “Exercise Eastern Bridge-IV” took place at Air Force base in Jamnagar in January 2017 and focused on joint Defenceand offensive counter air missions.
India-Oman bilateral security ties have continued to develop since the beginning of the India-Oman Joint Military Cooperation meetings in 2006 and the eighth meeting took place in Muscat in February 2016.
