In News:

The Indian Army contingent has departed for Surat Thani, Thailand, to participate in the 15th edition of Exercise MAITREE-XV, the bilateral military exercise between the Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army.

About the Exercise:

• Exercise MAITREE aims to strengthen military cooperation, interoperability, mutual trust and camaraderie between India and Thailand.
• It was launched in 2006 as the Thai-Indian Cooperation Field Exercise (TICAFE) and was renamed MAITREE (“Friendship”) in 2013. The exercise is hosted alternately by the two countries. After a five-year gap following 2019, it resumed in 2024.
• The 2026 edition marks 20 years since the exercise was launched. Both countries are deploying 85 personnel each. The Indian contingent is represented mainly by 9 Gorkha Rifles, while Thailand is represented by the 3rd Battalion, 25th Infantry Brigade, 5th Division.
• The company-level exercise focuses on joint counter-insurgency (CI) and counter-terrorism (CT) operations in jungle and semi-urban/suburban terrain, conducted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter. Training will include field exercises, combat discussions, lectures, demonstrations, joint planning and tactical drills, culminating in a validation exercise.