Rapid Fire
Exercise Desert Cyclone II
- 19 Dec 2025
- 2 min read
An Indian military contingent has departed for Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) to participate in the second edition of the India–UAE Joint Military Exercise “Desert Cyclone II.”
India–UAE Defence Cooperation
- Exercises:
- Exercise Desert Cyclone: It is the first bilateral Army exercise between India and the UAE, initially held in January 2024, and focuses on joint urban warfare training for sub-conventional operations under a United Nations mandate, supporting peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, and stability missions.
- Exercise Gulf Waves (Navy): Bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and UAE Navy, earlier known as Exercise Zayed Talwar.
- Exercise Milan (Navy – Multilateral): UAE participated as an Observer in Exercise Milan 2024, hosted by India.
- Exercise Desert Flag (Air Force – Multilateral): The Indian Air Force regularly participates in this multinational air combat exercise hosted by the UAE.
- Exercise Tarang Shakti (Air Force – Multilateral): UAE participated in the inaugural edition in 2024, hosted by India.
- Defence Exhibitions: Mutual participation in major defence expos such as IDEX, NAVDEX, Dubai Air Show (UAE) and Aero India, DefExpo (India) highlights cooperation in defence manufacturing and technology.
- Strategic Significance: Defence ties form a key pillar of the India–UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership supporting regional security, interoperability, and indigenous defence manufacturing.
| Read more: India-UAE Relations |
