Indian contingent leaves for Kazakhstan for KAZIND-2026, with counter-terror and drone warfare in focus

A 60-member Indian armed forces contingent left on Monday for Oskemen, Kazakhstan, to take part in the ninth edition of the India-Kazakhstan joint military exercise, KAZIND, according to a release from the Press Information Bureau. The exercise runs from September 28 to October 11.

The Indian contingent is drawn mainly from a battalion of the Garhwal Rifles, with troops from other arms and services and personnel from the Indian Air Force. Kazakhstan will field a contingent of matching strength, made up primarily of personnel from its Land Forces.

The stated aim is to improve interoperability and strengthen the ability of the two forces to carry out joint counter-terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under a United Nations mandate.

The training centres on counter-terrorism in semi-urban and mountainous terrain, with an emphasis on joint planning and execution, air mobility, and the integrated use of unmanned aerial systems and counter-UAS capabilities. The two sides will train together on responses to terrorist actions, raids, search-and-destroy missions, and cordon-and-search operations. They will also practise securing helipads and landing sites and conducting special heliborne operations.

A Joint Command Post and an Intelligence and Surveillance Centre will be set up so that planning and execution can be coordinated. The exercise will end with a validation phase in which both contingents apply the tactics, techniques and procedures they have rehearsed against a simulated terrorist threat.

The emphasis on drones and counter-drone systems reflects how much the battlefield has changed, and the terrain focus is a natural fit for a Garhwal Rifles unit trained for mountain operations. The release said the exercise will let both sides draw on each other’s operational experience and build trust and camaraderie, and will deepen military-to-military cooperation between India and Kazakhstan. It also described the exercise as reinforcing the two countries’ shared commitment to regional peace, stability and collective security.