The military drill, called Exercise Bullstrike, was conducted to showcase joint operations capability of the armed forces. During the exercise, the army personnel got the chance to display their prowess by undertaking company level airborne operation at Teressa island.
170 troops from three services carried out para drop operations in a Combat Free Fall and Static Line mode. The Indian Army also shared a video of its personnel skydiving by jumping out of IAF aircraft and subsequently landing on the ground, surrounded by clear blue water.
Notably, in December last year, the Indian Air Force's Wing Commander Gajanand Yadava had created a record by jumping from an with twin flags measuring 30x20 feet each in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Wing Commander Yadava belongs to the IAF's skydiving team 'Akashganga'. He had undertaken the jump from an AN-32 aircraft over Malpura Drop Zone in Agra. The jump was executed from an altitude of 12,000 feet above the ground on December 12, 2008.
Meanwhile, US chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Michael Richardson held meetings with top Indian military leadership to strengthen bilateral military ties. He held discussions with Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chairman of COSC and Chief of the Naval Staff and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa.
Indian Navy and US Navy regularly participate in maritime exercises such as MALABAR and RIMPAC and have regular interactions at bilateral and multilateral forums. India and US ties have seen significant development in the recent years and India was accorded major defense partner status by the US in 2016.