Summary
November 2025 witnessed major military exercises including the tri-service Exercise Trishul, India–UK Ajeya Warrior, India–Sri Lanka Mitra Shakti, and India–Nepal Suryakiran XIX. Multilateral drills like SITMEX strengthened Indo-Pacific maritime cooperation, while coastal security exercise Sagar Kavach and desert warfare drills enhanced India’s combat readiness and interoperability.
Detailed Analysis
1. Exercise TRISHUL (Tri-Services Exercise 2025)
One of the largest domestic military drills in recent years, this was a "Mega" tri-service exercise led by the Indian Navy.
- Timeline: November 3 – 13, 2025.
- Lead Command: Western Naval Command, in coordination with the Army’s Southern Command and the Air Force’s South Western Air Command.
- Scale: Involved over 30,000 personnel, 25 warships (including INS Vikrant and INS Jalashwa), and 40+ aircraft (Rafales, Sukhois, and Jaguars).
- Location: Spread across the creek and desert sectors of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and the North Arabian Sea.
- Key Highlight (Amphex 2025): A major amphibious landing drill at Madhavpur Beach, Gujarat, featuring T-72 tanks being launched from landing crafts onto the shore, supported by MARCOS and Garud commandos.
2. Exercise AJEYA WARRIOR-25 (India–UK)
The 8th edition of this biennial bilateral exercise between the Indian Army and the British Army.
- Timeline: November 17 – 30, 2025.
- Venue: Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan.
- Participants: The Sikh Regiment represented India, while the Royal Gurkha Rifles represented the UK.
- Focus: Counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban environments under a UN mandate. It involved high-intensity drills like heliborne insertions, IED neutralization, and sniper training.
3. Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2025 (India–Sri Lanka)
The 11th edition of the joint military exercise aimed at strengthening regional security and interoperability.
- Timeline: November 10 – 23, 2025.
- Venue: Foreign Training Node, Belagavi, Karnataka.
- Participants: Troops from the RAJPUT Regiment (India) and the GAJABA Regiment (Sri Lanka).
- Key Feature: Extensive use of Drones and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) to simulate modern battlefield conditions. The curriculum also included Army Martial Arts Routine (AMAR) and Yoga.
4. Exercise SAGAR KAVACH-02/25
A comprehensive biannual coastal security exercise led by the Indian Coast Guard.
- Timeline: Mid-November 2025.
- Location: Along the Maharashtra and Goa coastline.
- Objective: Validating the multi-layered coastal security network. It involved "Red Teams" (simulated infiltrators) and "Blue Teams" (security forces) to test the real-time response of the Marine Police, Navy, and Customs.
5. Exercise MARU JWALA & AKHAND PRAHAAR
Conducted as part of the larger Trishul framework to test specific Army capabilities.
- Maru Jwala: Conducted by the XXI Corps (Sudarshan Chakra Corps) in Jaisalmer to validate combined arms operations in desert terrain.
- Akhand Prahaar: A validation exercise for high-intensity combat readiness and long-range fires.
6. Exercise SURYAKIRAN XIX (India–Nepal)
The 19th edition of this vital bilateral joint military exercise commenced in late November.
- Timeline: November 25 – December 8, 2025.
- Venue: Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
- Participants: 334 personnel each from the ASSAM Regiment (India) and the DEVI DATTA Regiment (Nepal).
- Focus: Interoperability in Jungle Warfare and Counter-Terrorism in mountainous terrain under a UN mandate.
- New Tech: This edition specifically integrated Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), drone-based ISR, and AI-enabled decision support tools.
7. Exercise SITMEX-25 (India–Singapore–Thailand)
The 5th edition of the Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime Exercise (SITMEX) was held to strengthen trilateral naval ties.
- Timeline: November 23 – 29, 2025.
- Venue: Changi Naval Base, Singapore (Shore Phase) and the Andaman Sea (Sea Phase).
- Participants:
- India: INS Karmuk (Kora-class corvette).
- Singapore: RSS Dauntless (Independence-class littoral mission vessel).
- Thailand: HTMS Krabi (Offshore patrol vessel).
- Objective: Enhancing coordination for complex maritime challenges like piracy and transnational crime in the Indo-Pacific.
8. Exercise SAMUDRA SHAKTI-25 (India–Indonesia)
The 5th edition of the Indo-Indonesian bilateral maritime exercise concluded its evaluation phase in November.
- Location: Visakhapatnam (Eastern Naval Command).
- Participants: INS Kavaratti (ASW Corvette) and Indonesia’s KRI John Lie.
- Significance: A critical exercise for maintaining peace and stability in the strategic waters of the Malacca Strait and the larger Indo-Pacific region.
9. Exercise DESERT CYCLONE-II (Pre-deployment)
While the active phase was scheduled for December, the Mechanised Infantry Regiment completed its specialized desert warfare training in late November before departing for the UAE.
- Focus: Sub-conventional operations in urban environments.