After Ex Mitra Shakti, COAS To Visit Sri Lanka: How Army Fortifies Ties With Drills Like Surya Kiran, Ajeya Warrior
Image courtesy: RNA
The Indian Army constantly engages with the forces around the world so as to increase and further strengthen its relations. Whether its through bilateral, joint military exercises or via high-level visits, the Army is always at work to ensure it maintains friendly ties with its peers.
In keeping up with the same agenda and India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, the Army is holding or is soon set to engage with the troops from neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, along with the United Kingdom (UK). Such moves are aimed at deepening Army-to-Army engagement.
Continuing the series of high-level bilateral military engagements, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from next week from December 1-2, 2025. The visit would further the bilateral defence cooperation and promote India as a reliable security partner.
Army Chief Gen Dwivedi’s Sri Lanka visit
Coming four years after former Army Chief’s Gen M M Naravane’s official trip in 2021, General Dwivedi’s visit is significant in light of China and Pakistan’s continuous attempts to woo Sri Lanka. Indian Army said that the visit takes place amid strong strategic convergence between India and Sri Lanka.
“The upcoming visit aims to reinforce India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy by emphasising partnership, stability and cooperation with Sri Lanka,” the Army said on Tuesday (November 25, 2025). Further, the COAS’ meetings with the Sri Lankan political and military leadership will also facilitate an exchange of views on emerging regional and global security challenges, particularly at a time when the Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) face new and evolving strategic pressures.
India-Sri Lanka defence ties: How are they moving ahead?
Army chief Gen Dwivedi’s upcoming visit would also be a significant event in the trajectory of India–Sri Lanka defence cooperation, as it would continue a consistent pattern of high-level military engagements that have fostered trust and operational familiarity between the two nations.
Previous visits by Indian Chiefs, such as General M.M. Naravane’s official trip to Sri Lanka in 2021, during which he held extensive discussions with the country’s leadership and witnessed the joint Exercise Mitra Shakti, have laid a strong foundation for continued cooperation.
Interestingly, both the countries recently conducted the 11th edition of joint military drill Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2025 at Belagavi, Karnataka.
India-Nepal defence ties: A boost with bilateral exercise?
While plans are set for boosting ties in the South, the Indian Army is also working towards keeping its bond intact with the partner in the North. Soldiers of the Indian Army and Nepalese Army on Tuesday began the joint military exercise “Exercise SURYAKIRAN XIX – 2025” at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.
The 14-day exercise is being conducted from November 25 to December 8. It is the 19th edition of this institutionalised bilateral Army exercise. As part of these drills, Indian and Nepalese troops will undergo simulation of situations demanding the use of niche technologies, in addition to the conventional training exercise.
“This edition of Exercise SURYAKIRAN-XIX will focus on incorporating niche and emerging technologies, including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), drone-based ISR, AI-enabled decision support tools, unmanned logistic vehicles and armoured protection platforms, enabling both armies to refine and adapt Tactics, Techniques and Procedures for operating in counter terrorism environment aligned to prevailing global dynamics,” the Army said.
Exercise Suryakiran’s scope entails strengthening battalion-level synergy in Jungle Warfare, Counter-Terrorism Operations in Mountainous Terrain, Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR), Medical Response, Environmental Conservation, and Integrated Ground-Aviation Operations.
How is Army fortifying ties with the UK?
Earlier in October 2025, India and the UK had signed a defence pact following the visit of British PM Keir Starmer. This included a £350 million deal for India to purchase UK-manufactured Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs), also known as Martlets, for the Indian Army.
Now, both the armies are engaging joint military Exercise Ajeya Warrior 2025, currently underway at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan. Troops from the Indian Army’s Sikh Regiment and the UK Army are focusing on a training curriculum aimed at strengthening interoperability under a United Nations mandate.
Under the Ajeya Warrior 2025 exercise, India and the Uk armies have undertaken demanding activities, including firing practices, reflex shooting, rocket launcher firing, sniper and MMG drills, along with scenario-based engagements replicating real combat situations.
Additonally, troops from both the sides are also practising specialised urban and semi-urban combat drills like House and Room Intervention, Convoy Protection, and Road Opening Patrols. Slithering and Small-Team Heliborne Operations from ALH and Mi-17 helicopters have refined insertion and extraction skills essential for counter-terror operations.
