Exercise Desert Cyclone II | 19 Dec 2025

Source: TH 

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.