News Desk
Thirty soldiers and two officers from the Maldives National Defence Force are participating in Exercise Pragati 2026, a two-week multinational military exercise hosted by the Indian Army at Amroi Military Station in Meghalaya, which began on 20 May.
The exercise, whose full name is Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region, brings together militaries from Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Vietnam alongside the Maldives and India.
The MNDF contingent includes personnel from the Special Forces, Special Operations Group, Special Boat Squadron and Marines.
Exercise Pragati focuses on counter-terrorism operations in mountainous and jungle terrain. The programme includes joint planning exercises, tactical drills and coordinated operations, with an emphasis on sharing technical knowledge and strengthening ties between the participating militaries.
The exercise reflects the MNDF’s continued engagement with regional defence networks. The Maldives has in recent years participated in a range of bilateral and multilateral military exercises, and the inclusion of Special Forces and Marines in this contingent signals that the country is sending its more specialised units rather than a ceremonial presence.
