India-Mongolia joint military exercise Nomadic Elephant 2026 commences in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh
New Delhi. The 18th edition of the India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise ‘Nomadic Elephant 2026’ commenced on Monday at the Foreign Training Node in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. The annual platoon-level exercise is being conducted from September 21 to October 3, 2026, with India and Mongolia hosting the exercise alternately.
The Indian Army and the Mongolian Armed Forces are participating with 45 personnel each. The previous edition of the exercise was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in May-June 2025.
The exercise is aimed at enhancing the joint military capabilities of the two forces to conduct counter-insurgency operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a United Nations mandate.
During the exercise, troops from both sides will undergo joint training focused on tactical-level operations, exchange of best practices, refinement of operational drills and improving interoperability. The training programme will include cordon and search operations, room intervention drills, special heliborne operations, cyber security training, and the employment of drones and counter-drone systems.
The participating troops will also train in realistic operational scenarios, providing them an opportunity to develop greater coordination and strengthen their ability to conduct joint operations.
The exercise is expected to further deepen defence cooperation between India and Mongolia and reinforce the longstanding ties of friendship and mutual trust between the two countries.
