Indian Army contingent set to depart for multilateral military Exercise Khaan Quest
New Delhi, June 18
The Indian Army contingent is set to depart today to participate in the multilateral joint military exercise - Exercise KHAAN QUEST. The Exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 20 June to 03 July 2026 at Five Hills Training Area, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the Exercise will bring together military forces from across the world to collaborate and enhance interoperability in peace support operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. The previous edition of the exercise was conducted from 14-28 June 2025 in Mongolia.
The exercise first started as a bilateral event between the USA and the Mongolian Defence Forces in the year 2003. Subsequently, from the year 2006 onwards, the exercise graduated to a Multilateral Peacekeeping Exercise with the current one being the 23rd iteration. The participation by an Indian contingent reflects India's steadfast commitment to global peace and strategic partnership with Mongolia.
The Indian Army contingent comprising 40 personnel is being represented by troops from a Battalion of the JAT REGIMENT along with personnel from other Arms and Services.
Exercise KHAAN QUEST aims to prepare contingents of participating Defence Forces for peacekeeping missions while operating in a multilateral environment. The exercise will focus on the conduct of joint planning and tactical drills such as the establishment of static and mobile checkpoints, cordon and search operations, patrolling, evacuation of civilians from a hostile area, counter-improvised explosive device drills, combat first aid and casualty evacuation.
Exercise KHAAN QUEST will enable the participating countries to share their best practices in tactics, techniques and procedures for the conduct of joint operations. The exercise will facilitate operational readiness, bonhomie and camaraderie between soldiers of the participating countries.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see India participating actively in multilateral exercises. But I wonder if we are also doing enough bilateral exercises with our immediate neighbours. We've got China and Pakistan issues, after all. Still, any effort for global peace is commendable 👍
Interesting that this started as a US-Mongolia bilateral back in 2003 and is now a major multilateral event. India joining adds significant value, especially in peacekeeping operations under the UN charter. The jungle and mountain warfare experience of the Indian Army is world-class.
The scope of drills sounds comprehensive - checkpoints, cordon operations, civilian evacuation, IED drills... This is exactly what our soldiers need for modern peacekeeping missions. Hope they also get to practice some cold-weather survival tactics in Mongolia's terrain! 🏔️
India's participation in exercise Khaan Quest is a reflection of our growing defence diplomacy. But I hope the government also focuses on modernising our own military equipment. We can't just rely on tactical training while other nations have advanced tech. Balanced approach needed.
Mongolia is such an interesting location for this exercise - right in the heart of Central Asia. India's strategic partnership with Mongolia goes back decades, with shared Buddhist heritage and democratic values. This exercise builds on that foundation beautifully. Well done!
S