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The Vietnam-India Bilateral Army Exercise (VINBAX 2024), held in India, is a prominent annual military diplomacy activity between the two nations since its inception in 2018.

The Indian Army Aviation Corps' Chinook CH-47 (left) and HAL Dhruv (right) helicopters participate in the VINBAX 2024 exercise.

This marks the fifth iteration of the exercise and the third field training exercise, alternately hosted by the two countries.

This year, the Vietnamese contingent at VINBAX comprises 47 members and 2 observers, the largest delegation since the bilateral exercises began.

Alongside personnel from the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Engineer Corps, and the Military Medical Academy, this is the first time the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam has included two air force officers from the Air Defense-Air Force Service.

Specifically, Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Duan of the General Staff, Air Defense-Air Force Service, and Major Nguyen Van Thieu, a pilot from Regiment 916, Division 371, are seasoned aviators with extensive flying hours and experience in search-and-rescue operations. The Vietnamese air force officers are participating as observers.

Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Duan and Major Nguyen Van Thieu shared their flight experience with officers from the Indian Army Aviation Corps. Photo: Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations

In recent days, alongside focused training sessions with the VINBAX delegation, Vietnamese air force officers have engaged in activities such as exchanging and sharing experiences on aerial search and rescue operations, as well as the role of air forces in responding to natural disasters, emergencies, and humanitarian assistance under the "four on-the-spot" principle (on-the-spot command, on-the-spot forces, on-the-spot logistics, and on-the-spot equipment).

They also visited makeshift airstrips used by transport helicopters in UN peacekeeping operations and observed external sling load operations involving transport helicopters like the Mi-17 and Chinook CH-47 of the Indian Army Aviation Corps. These helicopters demonstrated their capabilities in transporting construction equipment for engineering units in UN peacekeeping missions, delivering supplies and evacuating victims during UN humanitarian assistance operations.

Speaking on the sidelines of the exercise, Colonel Uday Ranna, an Indian Army Aviation pilot, said "VINBAX 2024 is an excellent opportunity for us to exchange and share expertise with our Vietnamese colleagues-professional, capable pilots from a heroic military."

The VINBAX 2024 exercise is taking place from November 3 to 24 at the 67th Engineer Regiment, 474th Engineer Brigade, Western Command, based in Ambala and Chandimandir, Haryana, India.

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