logo
India, France conduct joint exercise 'Shakti-VIII' to deepen of military-to-military trust

India, France conduct joint exercise 'Shakti-VIII' to deepen of military-to-military trust

NEW DELHI: The Indian and French Armies carried out joint military exercises in France in a realistic condition encompassing a wide spectrum of mission-specific drills tailored to sub-conventional and modern warfare.
The Indian Army says the Indo-French Joint Military Exercise, christened Shakti-VIII, 'will strengthen operational interoperability and mutual cooperation between the two militaries.'
The exercise included 'combat shooting in semi-developed terrain, obstacle crossings, urban combat drills, joint patrols, and troop insertion techniques—all conducted under realistic operational conditions to sharpen tactical adaptability.'
Specialist detachments from both sides have engaged in Electronic Warfare (EW) and Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) training, incorporating signal interception, jamming, spectrum control, and drone-neutralisation exercises.
The Army said, 'These modules have enhanced both contingents' ability to operate effectively in contested electromagnetic environments, significantly augmenting modern battlefield readiness.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India-Philippines strategic partnership: The big picture
India-Philippines strategic partnership: The big picture

Time of India

time29 minutes ago

  • Time of India

India-Philippines strategic partnership: The big picture

S D Pradhan has served as chairman of India's Joint Intelligence Committee. He has also been the country's deputy national security adviser. He was chairman of the Task Force on Intelligence Mechanism (2008-2010), which was constituted to review the functioning of the intelligence agencies. He has taught at the departments of defence studies and history at the Punjabi University, Patiala. He was also a visiting professor at the University of Illinois, US, in the department of arms control and disarmament studies. The ministry of defence had utilized his services for the preparation of official accounts of the 1971 war and the counterinsurgency operations in the northeast. In the JIC/National Security Council secretariat, he was closely involved with the preparation of the reports of the Kargil Review Committee and the Group of Ministers on national security as also with the implementation of their recommendations. His publications include two books and several articles. LESS ... MORE A mutually advantageous state visit by President Ferdinand Marcos to India (4-8 August 2025) was not only high on protocol but also a boost to the bilateral relationship, indicating India's policy of steadily raising the level of ties with all important countries in Southeast Asia in an unpredictable global environment. President Marcos was accompanied by the first lady, Louise Araneta Marcos and a high-level official delegation including fourteen cabinet ministers of the Philippines and a high-level business delegation. Fourteen agreements covering bilateral relations comprehensively were signed. For India, the Southeast Asian nations are of great significance. India's substantial trade passes through this region. Since 2014, India has sharply focused on this region when it upgraded its policy from the Look East to the Act East. Later, India took initiatives like Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). The latter policy was further upgraded in March 2025 to Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR). While India and the Philippines established diplomatic relations in 1949, since 2022, there have been accelerated developments to raise the level of ties. During Jaishankar's visit to Manila, the two countries agreed to coordinate closely at multi-lateral fora and reaffirmed their strong commitment to a multi-faceted partnership that would facilitate the developmental aspirations and shared priorities of the two democracies in the Indo-Pacific region. India and the Philippines signed a $374.96 million contract for the purchase of a shore based anti-ship variant of the BrahMos missile from India in January 2022. Two batches of this missile have been delivered since then. The significance of the elevation of the India-Philippines ties to a level of strategic partnership lies in imparting a qualitative and strategic new dimension to the bilateral relationship, which is backed by a comprehensive bilateral Plan of Action (2025-2029). The pillars of relationship cover political-diplomatic, defence and security with special focus on maritime security; all economic dimensions including trade and investment, industrial cooperation, and connectivity (supply chain); technological cooperation; tourism; and people-to-people cooperation. New areas of collaboration include renewable energy, critical minerals, electric vehicles, digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence, robotics, ICT, biotechnology, creative industry and startups, construction and infrastructure, iron and steel, shipbuilding and ship repair, and agriculture. There was emphasis on finding a solution to the South China Sea (SCS) disputes. The declaration underscored the need for the resolution of disputes in accordance with the UNCLOS and stressed that the 2016 arbitral award was a significant milestone and the basis for the peaceful resolution of the disputes. Since 2023, India has been stressing the implementation of the PCA Ruling. Without mentioning China, the declaration expressed concern on the coercive and aggressive actions that impact on regional peace and stability and called on all parties exercise self-restrain and resolve the disputes peacefully. On defence, they agreed to collaborate and cooperate for co-production of defence equipment, to achieve the goal of self-reliance in defence production. Manila is also showing interest in acquiring the Akash surface-to-air missile system. New Delhi and Manila conducted their first-ever joint exercises in the SCS on August 3-4. The drills were held inside the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, as part of Manila's broader efforts to counter China's maritime assertiveness. This also signals India's evolving posture toward the SCS: peace in the region is integral to its maritime and economic security. The strategic partnership transcends traditional diplomatic or defence ties encompassing non-military domains, like trade and investment, industrial and technological cooperation, supply chains, and people-to-people links. The two sides agreed to launch a preferential trade negotiation to boost bilateral trade which reached US$3.3 billion in 2024-2025. They committed to have regular meetings of senior officials to promote trade and investment, facilitate early resolution of market access issues, foster greater integration with global supply chains. India also committed to support the Philippines' local developmental priorities, through the implementation of Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) under the Indian grant assistance. New Delhi and Manila agreed to cooperate for enhancing international and regional trade. They also agreed to strengthen people-to-people ties and cultural connections, exchanges, and collaborations through enhanced interactions. They agreed to free up visas and begin direct flights. Importantly, New Delhi and Manila decided to cooperate closely in multilateral and regional forums, including in the United Nations and its specialized agencies, on global issues of mutual concern and interest, such as rule of law in the global commons, counter-terrorism, climate change and sustainable development. PM Modi aptly remarked that strategic partnership is 'a symbol of deep mutual trust,' while Marcos emphasised the Philippines as a vital partner in India's Act East and 'MAHASAGAR' vision. Strategically, the partnership underscores a unified stance on regional disputes, reaffirming adherence to international law and advocating peaceful resolution of disputes in the SCS. India is cognisant of the fact that regional stability is vital not only for bilateral prosperity but also for the security architecture of the entire Indo-Pacific. This also conveys a message that India's interest in peace and security in the Indo-Pacific is not restricted to the Quad grouping alone: it is strengthening ties bilaterally and through ASEAN, BRICS and SCO with a focus on the Global South's requirements to achieve the objective of peace and economic development as it navigates the current geopolitical turbulence involving bigger global powers. It is stitching a multifaceted network of regional and bilateral partnerships aimed at fostering stability, economic resilience, and a rules-based international order. The Philippines, as ASEAN chair in 2026 and the coordinator for the ASEAN-India comprehensive strategic partnership, would play a strategic role in this wider regional architecture. In essence, India's deepening strategic partnership with the Philippines marks a pivotal moment in its burgeoning engagement with Southeast Asia, signalling a resolve to bolster regional stability, economic growth, and security amid a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Currently, India has Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships with six ASEAN members-Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.

European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for White House talks with Trump
European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for White House talks with Trump

First Post

time29 minutes ago

  • First Post

European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for White House talks with Trump

European leaders will join Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Washington on Monday seeking an end of war. European leaders will accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his critical meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Sunday. A ceasefire in Ukraine had been one of Trump's central demands ahead of his Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a meeting to which Ukraine and its European allies were not invited. The summit produced no breakthrough and Trump has ruled out an immediate truce. Leaders attending the Washington talks alongside Zelenskyy include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and von der Leyen herself to press the US president on the urgency of halting hostilities. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The European leaders' presence at Zelenskyy's side, demonstrating Europe's support for Ukraine, could potentially help ease concerns in Kyiv and in other European capitals that Zelenskyy risks being railroaded into a peace deal that Trump says he wants to broker with Russia. Von der Leyen, head of the European Union's executive branch, posted on X that 'at the request of President Zelenskyy, I will join the meeting with President Trump and other European leaders in the White House tomorrow.' The Ukrainian president's last Oval Office visit in February ended in an extraordinary shouting match, with Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly berating Zelensky for not showing enough gratitude for US aid. In an interview with broadcaster Fox News after his sit-down with Putin, Trump had suggested that the onus was now on Zelensky to secure a peace deal as they work towards an eventual trilateral summit with Putin. 'It's really up to President Zelensky to get it done,' Trump said. Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine rages on, with both Kyiv and Moscow launching attack drones at each other Sunday. With inputs from agencies

‘If you're Indian, buy made-in-India products only': PM Modi to citizens ahead of festive season
‘If you're Indian, buy made-in-India products only': PM Modi to citizens ahead of festive season

Indian Express

time29 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

‘If you're Indian, buy made-in-India products only': PM Modi to citizens ahead of festive season

With India's trade negotiations with the US going through a tumultuous period amid global turmoil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for buying products made in India in the upcoming festive season. He was speaking at the inauguration of two national highway projects in the national capital: the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II. 'I request all citizens to trust products made in India. If you're Indian, buy made-in-India products only…I want to say one thing to shopkeepers and businessmen also: there was a time when you used to sell products made elsewhere, maybe because you made more profit there. But now you also have to support my initiative of 'vocal for local',' he said. Modi also accused the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress of degrading Delhi's condition as well as of drafting draconian laws. 'For the longest time, we were not even close to power in Delhi. Previous governments have destroyed Delhi during their tenures. They had pushed Delhi into a ditch. It is very difficult to pull Delhi out of problems that have accumulated over the years. But I am confident that the BJP team you have chosen in Delhi will solve these,' he said. 'Earlier governments used to consider Swachhta Mitras their slaves. These people who dance keeping the Constitution on their head, they used to trample on it and betray the beliefs of Babasaheb,' he said. The prime minister also said he had removed a provision of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act under which a Swachhta Mitra can be imprisoned for a month if they don't come to work for one day without informing the authorities.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store