• The two-week long military exercise aimed to enhance interoperability and foster defence cooperation between the Indian Army (IA) and the UAE Land Forces through joint training in urban environments.
• The exercise will focus on sub-conventional operations under a United Nations (UN) mandate, enabling the forces of both countries to operate together in peacekeeping, counter-terrorism and stability operations.

• What? Commencement of Joint Military Exercise
• Name of Exercise: Desert Cyclone-II
• Edition: 2nd
• Between: IA and UAE Land Forces
• Where? Abu Dhabi, the UAE
• Key Participants: 45 Mechanised Infantry Regiment (Indian contingent) and 53 Mechanised Infantry Battalion (UAE Land Forces)

About Desert Cyclone-II:
Key Participants: The Indian contingent includes 45 personnel, mainly from a battalion of The Mechanised Infantry Regiment.

• The UAE Land Forces contingent comprises 53 personnel from Mechanised Infantry Battalion.

Planned Drills: During the exercise, troops from both countries will train in a range of tactical drills, including fighting in built-up areas, heliborne operations and detailed mission planning.

• The exercise will also include the integration of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and counter-UAS techniques for conduct of operations in built-up areas.

Significance: DESERT CYCLONE-II reflects the strengthening strategic partnership between India and the UAE and is expected to further bolster military-to-military relations.

• It also reaffirms the shared commitment of both countries to regional peace, security and stability.

Previous Edition: India hosted the 1st edition of Desert Cyclone-I at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges (MFFR) in Rajasthan in January 2024.
Defence Engagements: Exercise DESERT CYCLONE-II, following recent high-level defence visits including the UAE Land Forces Commander (27–28 October 2025) and the UAE Presidential Guard Commander (15–19 December 2025), aims to further deepen India–UAE bilateral defence cooperation.
About the United Arab Emirates (UAE):
President- Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Capital- Abu Dhabi
Currency- UAE Dirham (AED)