India and Kazakhstan Launch Ninth Edition of Joint Exercise KAZIND-2026 in Oskemen

Key facts

• The ninth edition of the India-Kazakhstan Joint Military Exercise KAZIND is being held in Oskemen, Kazakhstan, from September 28 to October 11, 2026.
• A 60-member Indian Armed Forces contingent, mainly from a battalion of the Garhwal Rifles along with other arms and services and the Indian Air Force, departed for the exercise on September 28, 2026.
• The Kazakhstan Armed Forces are fielding a contingent of similar strength, primarily drawn from its Land Forces.
• KAZIND-2026 aims to enhance interoperability and strengthen capabilities for joint counter-terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under a United Nations mandate.
• The exercise focuses on operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain, including air mobility and the integrated use of unmanned aerial systems and counter-UAS capabilities.
• Drills include responses to terrorist attacks, raids, search-and-destroy missions, cordon-and-search operations, securing helipads and landing sites, and special heliborne operations.
• The exercise involves establishing a Joint Command Post and an Intelligence and Surveillance Centre, and culminates in a validation exercise against a simulated terrorist threat.