Exercise Mitra Shakti 2025: India and Sri Lanka have begun their 11th joint military exercise at Belagavi, Karnataka, focusing on counter-terrorism, drone warfare, and UN peacekeeping operations. Know its importance for UPSC and defence exams.
Bilateral Defence Cooperation Takes Centre Stage
On 10 November 2025, India and Sri Lanka launched the 11th edition of the joint military exercise Exercise Mitra Shakti at the Foreign Training Node in Belagavi, Karnataka.Scheduled to run until 23 November 2025, this landmark event underscores the deepening defence partnership between the two South Asian neighbours.
Scope and Participants of the Exercise
The exercise sees participation from both nations: the Indian contingent is drawn from the famed Rajput Regiment, while the Sri Lankan side comprises troops from the Gajaba Regiment. In addition to ground forces, 20 personnel from the Indian Air Force and 10 from the Sri Lanka Air Force are part of the exercise, reflecting a multi-domain operational focus.
Training Agenda: Modern Threats & Multinational Peacekeeping
The training will simulate operations in sub-conventional war-scenarios including counter-terrorism, urban operations, heliborne insertions, drone warfare, and casualty evacuation drills.Notably, the exercise integrates drone & counter-drone capabilities (C-UAS), which signals a shift towards modern warfare modalities. Moreover, given the exercise’s mandate under the Chapter VII of the United Nations, it also focuses on multinational peace-keeping environments, further reinforcing interoperability
Strategic Implications & Regional Security Dynamics
For India, the exercise reflects its broader “neighbourhood first” policy, aiming to bolster strategic ties with Sri Lanka while enhancing joint operational readiness. For Sri Lanka, it strengthens ties with a major regional power and enhances capacity to deal with asymmetric threats. The location—Belagavi in Karnataka—offers topographical and logistical advantage for realistic training environments.
Forward-Looking Elements
In this edition, the strong emphasis on drones and counter-UAS reflects how India and its partners are adapting defence training to evolving threats. Through heliborne operations and integrated multi-service drills, the exercise will test command, control, communications, and logistics in combined operations. Such drills pave the way for future multilateral engagements under the aegis of UN peace-keeping or regional security initiatives.
Why This News Is Important
Relevance for Competitive Exams
In examinations for teaching, banking, railways, defence and civil services (such as the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)), understanding current affairs related to defence cooperation, international diplomacy, and security ties is crucial. This exercise between India and Sri Lanka illustrates real-world policy in action, presenting a rich topic for objective questions (e.g., edition number, training focus, participants) and descriptive answers (regional security implications).
Strategic Significance
From a strategic perspective, the exercise demonstrates India’s expanding role in region-wide security architecture and its intention to enhance partner-nation capacities in sub-conventional warfare. For candidates preparing for roles in police, defence, and civil services, awareness of such drills is necessary to appreciate how nations prepare for asymmetric threats—an area increasingly relevant for security studies.
Historical Context
Origins of Exercise Mitra Shakti
The bilateral military exercise Mitra Shakti began in 2010 as a joint effort between the Indian Army and Sri Lanka Army to enhance mutual trust, operational coordination, and intelligence sharing in the realm of sub-conventional warfare. Over subsequent editions, the exercise has grown both in scale and complexity.
Evolution of Training Focus
While early editions emphasised jungle warfare and counter-insurgency tactics, recent iterations have incorporated advanced concepts such as UN peace-keeping operations, heliborne insertion, and techno-warfare elements like drones. The 2025 edition, being the 11th, reflects this progression from conventional training to net-centric and asymmetric warfare readiness.
India-Sri Lanka Defence Relations
India and Sri Lanka share a long maritime frontier and have cooperated on security matters including maritime patrols, anti-piracy operations and counter-terrorism. The regularity of Mitra Shakti underscores the strategic importance both nations place on sustaining this cooperation.
Key Takeaways from “India-Sri Lanka Begin Joint Military Exercise Mitra Shakti 2025”
| S. No. | Key Takeaway |
|---|---|
| 1 | The 11th edition of Exercise Mitra Shakti began on 10 November 2025 at Belagavi, Karnataka. |
| 2 | Participating units include India’s Rajput Regiment (170 personnel) and Sri Lanka’s Gajaba Regiment (135 personnel), supported by air contingents. |
| 3 | The focus areas of training include counter-terror raids, heliborne operations, drone and counter-drone warfare, and casualty evacuation drills. |
| 4 | The exercise is conducted under UN Chapter VII mandate, highlighting its peace-keeping orientation in addition to combat readiness. |
| 5 | Inclusion of modern warfare components (e.g., C-UAS) indicates the shift in regional defence strategy towards addressing asymmetric and hybrid threats. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is Exercise Mitra Shakti?
Exercise Mitra Shakti is a bilateral joint military exercise conducted annually between the Indian Army and the Sri Lanka Army to strengthen mutual military cooperation and interoperability in counter-terrorism and peacekeeping operations.
2. Where is Exercise Mitra Shakti 2025 being held?
The 11th edition of Exercise Mitra Shakti is being conducted at the Foreign Training Node, Belagavi, Karnataka, from 10 to 23 November 2025.
3. Which units are participating in the 2025 edition?
India is represented by the Rajput Regiment, while Sri Lanka has sent troops from the Gajaba Regiment. Additionally, personnel from both the Indian Air Force and Sri Lanka Air Force are participating to enhance multi-domain operational readiness.
4. What are the key focus areas of the exercise?
The 2025 edition focuses on counter-terrorism operations, urban warfare, heliborne missions, drone and counter-drone warfare (C-UAS), and UN peacekeeping training under Chapter VII mandates.
5. Why is Exercise Mitra Shakti important for India’s defence strategy?
It strengthens India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy, improves regional stability, and ensures both countries can operate jointly in peacekeeping or humanitarian missions, aligning with UN standards.
6. When was the first Exercise Mitra Shakti conducted?
The first edition of Exercise Mitra Shakti was conducted in 2010, marking the beginning of structured bilateral military cooperation between India and Sri Lanka.
7. How is this exercise relevant for UPSC and Defence Exam aspirants?
For aspirants of UPSC, CDS, NDA, CAPF, and other exams, Mitra Shakti is an important topic under India’s bilateral defence relations, international diplomacy, and security initiatives.
8. What is Chapter VII of the UN Charter mentioned in the exercise?
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter deals with actions concerning threats to peace, breaches of peace, and acts of aggression, allowing member nations to engage in collective peacekeeping or enforcement actions.
9. How long will Exercise Mitra Shakti 2025 last?
The exercise will continue for 14 days, from 10 to 23 November 2025, involving multiple simulated operations and field training exercises.
10. Which recent technologies are being used in Mitra Shakti 2025?
New-age tools such as drones, counter-drone systems (C-UAS), heliborne operations, and advanced communication systems are being tested to prepare for modern warfare environments.
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