New Delhi:To further defence ties with the United Kingdom, India for the first time will send its Mechanised troops to the country to pitch their skills during land warfare exercises with their British counterparts beginning August 29.

"Mechanised infantry troops of the Indian Army will carry out joint training and exercises with UK Army from August 29 in that country," an Army spokesperson said here today.

Army chief General Deepak Kapoor, who will be in the UK during September on a scheduled visit, would be witnessing the Indian troops training and exercising with the British troops at the Land Warfare Centre in UK.

"These exercises and training programme was not part of our annual plan this year, but were scheduled following an invitation from the UK Army troops as a reciprocal gesture," an army official said.

The UK troops had earlier participated in joint training exercise with the Indian troops in India last year.

The Indian contingent of 126 men would be drawn from the 16 Mechanised Infantry Regiment and they would be at the Salibury Plains-based Land Warfare Centre till September 19.

During their stay, the Indian troops would train and exercise with the British Army troops of the 3rd Mercian Regiment, an amalgamation of old British Army units that have served in India in the mid-19th Century.

The training will be at the battalion-group level and will be followed by two joint operational manoeuvres, Exercise Lions Strike and Exercise Wessex Warriors .
Source : PTI