Desert Knight Exercise

India, France, and the UAE have recently launched “Desert Knight, defence exercise.

Key Highlights

• It is a trilateral air combat exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF), the French Air and Space Force (FASF), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force.
• It was conducted over the Arabian Sea, approximately 350-400 km southwest of Karachi.
• Objectives: To strengthen trilateral defence cooperation and enhance combat skills and interoperability among the air forces of the three nations.

 

Importance

• The exercise marks a continued effort to build strategic partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and Persian Gulf regions amid global geopolitical tensions.
• The exercise aligns with India’s broader Indo-Pacific strategy, emphasising cooperation with like-minded nations to ensure a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.