India–Myanmar Tri-Services HADR Exercise RAHAT MITRA Concludes in Chennai

India and Myanmar held the successful first edition of the Tri-Services Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Exercise (RAHAT MITRA) on November 6 2026. This exercise was took place on November 5th and 6th with participation from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and the Defense Forces of Myanmar. This exercise focused on enhancing interoperability, increasing coordination and promoting best practices for Disaster Relief efforts.

Exercise RAHAT MITRA Highlights

• Exercise Name RAHAT MITRA
• Countries Involved India and Myanmar
• Exercise Type Bilateral Tri-Services HADR Exercise
• Edition First Edition
• Date November 5-6, 2026
• Location Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Participants Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force
• Participants Myanmar Defense Forces
• Objective Enhance coordination

Objectives of Exercise RAHAT MITRA

This exercise was held to increase cooperation between the defense forces of India and Myanmar during humanitarian and Disaster Relief efforts.

Major Objectives,

• Improve interoperability between forces
• Increase coordination during joint planning
• Share experience
• Gain an understanding of each other’s HADR capabilities
• Increase coordination during effective Disaster Relief efforts across all domains.

Major Activities of Exercise

This two-day exercise included joint planning, Disaster Relief scenarios and specialized capability demonstrations.

Day 1: Joint Planning

This day focused on joint planning and gaining an understanding of HADR capabilities. A Tabletop Exercise (TTX) based around a severe cyclone scenario was conducted to support discussion about coordinated response processes.

The contingent also observed,

• Obstacle clearing and bridging demonstrations by the Indian Army.
• A tour of INS Sukanya to observe ship-borne HADR capabilities.

Day 2: Multi-Domain Disaster Relief Demonstrations

The second day of the exercise focused on demonstrating the Disaster Relief capabilities of the Indian Defence Forces.

Organisation/Centre Activity

• INS Adyar: Shore-based Disaster Relief.
• Communication Network Centre, Chennai: Emergency communications/Command and Control.
• Military Hospital, Chennai: Field Triage and Disaster Camp Management.
• Indian Navy Flood Relief Teams: Specialised flood relief equipment.
• Indian Navy: Sea SAR
• Indian Air Force: Casualty Evacuation using Advanced Light Helicopter.

During the sea SAR demonstration, coordinated maneuvers were conducted by a Chetak helicopter and INS Bitra.

The Indian Air Force demonstrated casualty evacuation with Commodore Aung Niang Win and 2 officers from the Myanmar delegation on board an IAF Advanced Light Helicopter.

Importance of Exercise RAHAT MITRA

• This exercise increased defense cooperation between India and Myanmar. It provided the opportunity for sharing experience and gaining an understanding of the Disaster Relief processes.
• It demonstrated the importance of coordinating forces during large-scale emergencies such as cyclones, flooding and natural disasters. It also increased cooperation during maritime, land, and air operations.
• The successful first edition demonstrates the mutual commitment to increase regional disaster preparedness and maritime cooperation.