Exercise MAITREE-XIV: India-Thailand Military Drill Begins in Meghalaya

The 14th edition of Exercise MAITREE, a bilateral military exercise between India and Thailand, commenced on September 1, 2025, at the Joint Training Node (JTN), Umroi in Meghalaya. This edition marks a significant step in strengthening defence ties and enhancing operational interoperability between the Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army. The exercise will run until September 14, 2025, showcasing growing strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Objective and Significance of Exercise MAITREE

Promoting Military Interoperability and Trust

• Exercise MAITREE is a long-standing military collaboration initiated in 2006, with the core objective of enhancing mutual understanding, interoperability, and joint tactical capability in handling regional security challenges. It is part of the broader military-to-military exchange programme between the two nations.

Bilateral Defence Commitment

• This joint exercise underscores the shared commitment of India and Thailand toward maintaining peace, stability, and security in the region, particularly in light of evolving counter-terrorism threats and the growing strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific corridor.

Composition of Forces

Indian Army Participation

• India is represented by a battalion of the Madras Regiment, contributing 120 personnel to the joint exercise. The Madras Regiment, one of the oldest and most decorated regiments of the Indian Army, brings rich experience in counter-insurgency and jungle warfare.

Royal Thai Army Participation

• Thailand has deployed 53 personnel from the 1st Infantry Battalion, 14th Infantry Brigade—a combat unit skilled in light infantry tactics and internal security operations.

Training Focus and Activities

Urban Warfare and UN Charter Operations

• This edition of Exercise MAITREE centers on company-level counter-terrorist operations in semi-urban terrain, conducted under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, which allows for collective action to maintain or restore international peace and security.

Key Training Modules Include,

• Joint tactical drills and coordination exercises
• Special arms and weapons handling skills
• Planning and execution of counter-insurgency operations
• Physical fitness and endurance sessions
• Combined raiding and clearance operations

The exercise will conclude with a 48-hour validation exercise simulating realistic operational scenarios, testing the combined decision-making, execution, and cohesion of both armies.

Strategic Context and Regional Impact

Expanding Indo-Pacific Cooperation

• The conduct of Exercise MAITREE in India reflects the deepening military engagement between India and Thailand, two key players in the Indo-Pacific strategic landscape. With geopolitical tensions and non-traditional security threats on the rise, such exercises demonstrate a shared vision for regional peace and collaborative defence readiness.

Follow-up to 2023 Edition

• The 13th edition of the exercise was held at Fort Vachiraprakan in Tak Province, Thailand, making this year’s drill in Meghalaya a continuation of the annual rotational format that alternates between the two countries.

Key facts for exam

• Name: Exercise MAITREE-XIV
• Dates: 1st–14th September 2025
• Location: Joint Training Node (JTN), Umroi, Meghalaya
• Focus: Counter-terror operations under UN Chapter VII in semi-urban terrain
• Started in: 2006 as a key bilateral military initiative