Sangam, a special training program between Indian & USA Naval forces active in Goa

To further establish understanding and corporation, the 7th edition of Exercise Sangam, a joint Naval Special Forces exercise between Indian Navy MARCOs and US Navy SEALs is active in Goa. The present edition of this strategical, 3 week program, sees personnel from SEAL Team Five, San Diego, US and Indian Navy MARCOs from INS Abhimanyu. The program aims to exchange ideas and experiences on various aspects of Maritime Special Operations.

Exercise Sangam was first conducted in 1994 and is an important military and diplomatic initiative between the two powerful nations, a reflection of the trust and friendship between them.

• A joint exercise among US SEALs and Indian Navy MARCOs, Naval Special Forces is held annually as part of Exercise Malabar. The Sangam exercise is a bilateral exercise purely between the US and Indian Special Forces.

• The program spans a duration of three weeks, in which the personnel will exercise and hone their skills in Maritime Interdiction Operations, Direct Action Missions, Combat Free Fall Jumps, Special Heliborne Operations, and various other training sessions.

• The joint exercise also focuses on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. Troops from both nations practiced launching of swift and coordinated relief efforts in the wake of any natural calamity.

Apart from the above reinforcement drills, the program also incapsulates training operations related to peacekeeping and peace enforcement. Troops from both nations will work together to achieve common objectives.