The 18th edition of the India–Mongolia Joint Military Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT commenced on 21 September 2026 at the Foreign Training Node in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. The annual platoon-level exercise will continue until 3 October 2026 and is conducted alternately in India and Mongolia.
The exercise brings together 45 personnel each from the Indian Army and the Mongolian Armed Forces. The previous edition was held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in May–June 2025.
The exercise is aimed at enhancing the joint operational capabilities of both forces for Counter-Insurgency Operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a United Nations mandate.
Training activities will focus on tactical-level operations, exchange of best practices, refinement of operational procedures and strengthening interoperability. The programme includes Cordon and Search Operations, Room Intervention Drills, Special Heliborne Operations, Cyber Security Training, and the use of drones and counter-drone systems.
Through realistic joint training scenarios, the exercise will provide personnel from both armies with an opportunity to develop coordinated operational skills and share best practices.
NOMADIC ELEPHANT 2026 is expected to further strengthen defence cooperation between India and Mongolia while reinforcing the longstanding ties of friendship, mutual trust and military cooperation between the two countries.
