Knowledge Nugget | From Sea Dragon to MILAN: Mapping key defence exercises

UPSC Current Affairs: India joins Exercise Sea Dragon 2026 in Guam—but what is this exercise all about?

Who are the key participants, and why is it significant?

Which major defence exercises has India recently conducted or participated in?

Here’s everything you need to know.

Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge.

Here’s your UPSC Current Affairs knowledge nugget for today on Exercise Sea Dragon.

Knowledge Nugget: Exercise Sea Dragon
Subject: International Relations and Security
( Relevance: Military exercises have become an important part of the UPSC syllabus, as they reflect the defence cooperation between India and other nations.

In the Prelims 2024 exam, UPSC asked a question about Mitra Shakti .)
The Indian Navy is participating in Exercise Sea Dragon 2026, held at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam throughout March.

The exercise has brought together maritime forces from several partner nations.

In this context, let’s learn about this exercise and other defence exercises that have been in the news.

1.

Held throughout March, Exercise Sea Dragon 26 is a United States Navy-led, multinational, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) training activity involving the Indian Navy, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

2.

The multinational exercise is being conducted to strengthen cooperation among allied forces of participating nations and improve understanding for better anti-submarine warfare capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.

3.

Participants will be challenged on speed, accuracy and coordinated mission execution, strengthening ASW proficiency and enhancing interoperability among partner forces.

India’s latest Joint Defence Exercises
1.

MILAN 2026: The 13th edition of the Exercise MILAN 2026 of the Indian Navy culminated on 25th February 2026 with a closing ceremony conducted onboard India’s indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

It was held under the theme ‘Camaraderie, Cooperation, Collaboration’, and witnessed participation on an unprecedented scale, comprising 42 ships and submarines and 29 aircraft.

2.

Malabar Naval Exercise: The navies of India, the US, Australia and Japan participated in the annual Malabar naval exercise in the Northern Pacific’s Guam in November last year with an aim to further bolster interoperability among them.

3.

Yudh Abhyas 2025: The 21st edition of Yudh Abhyas, the annual joint military exercise between India and US , took place from September 1 to 14 last year at Fort Wainwright in Alaska.

The troops rehearsed a spectrum of tactical drills, including heliborne operations, the employment of surveillance resources and unmanned aerial systems, rockcraft, mountain warfare, casualty evacuation, combat medical aid, and the integrated use of artillery, aviation, and electronic warfare systems.

4.

Varuna Exercise: The bilateral joint maritime exercise of India and France was held from 19 to 22 March 2025 off the coast of Goa.

It stands as a powerful reminder of the deep bonds uniting the Indian and French Navies in their pursuit of maritime peace and security.

Exercise Shakti is the joint military exercise of India and France.

6.

Dustlik : The sixth edition of the joint military exercise ‘Dustlik’ between India and Uzbekistan is being held at the Foreign Training Node (FTN) at Aundh, Pune from April 16 to 28, 2025.

Exercise Dustlik is a yearly event conducted alternatively in India and Uzbekistan.

The aim of the exercise is to foster military cooperation and enhance combined capabilities to execute joint operations in various environments and terrains.

8.

Nomadic Elephant: The 17th edition of India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT is being conducted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 31st May to 13th June 2025.

It is an annual event conducted alternately in India and Mongolia.

The 2024 edition was conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya.

9.

Mitra Shakti : The 10th edition of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise ‘Mitra Shakti’ was conducted at the Army Training School, Maduru Oya, from August 12-25, 2024.

Mitra Shakti is an annual training event conducted alternatively in India and Sri Lanka.

BEYOND THE NUGGET: Exercise ‘Vayu Shakti’
1.

The Exercise ‘Vayu Shakti’ demonstration was aimed at showcasing the Indian Air Force’s operational preparedness, precision strike capability and ability to undertake multi-domain operations in a near-realistic combat scenario.

2.

IAF presented glimpses of missions undertaken during Operation Sindoor through simulated strikes at the Pokharan Field Firing Range.

Jaguar and Mirage fighter aircraft struck designated targets simultaneously, replicating coordinated attack patterns demonstrated during Operation Sindoor.

Which of the following statements about ‘Exercise Mitra Shakti-2023’ are correct?

(UPSC CSE 2024)
1.

This was a joint military exercise between India and Bangladesh.

2.

It commenced in Aundh ( Pune ).

3.

Joint response during counter-terrorism operation was a goal of this operation.

4.

Indian Air Force was a part of this exercise.

Select the answer using the code given below:
(Sources: The Malabar Exercise of Quad nations, and why it matters to India, Exercise ‘Vayu Shakti’ )
Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express.

She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science.

She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media.

At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section.

Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, the economy, and social issues.

You can contact her via email: roshni.yadav@indianexpress.com.

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