A 14-day joint training exercise of the Indian Army and Maldivian National Defence Force commenced with the opening ceremony at Kadhdhoo, Lammu Atoll in Maldives on December 15, 2016.

The training contingents comprised of a platoon strength from Bihar Regiment and a similar strength of the Maldivian National Defence Force. Senior military observers of both the countries will be witnessing the validation phase of the exercise.

Exercise Ekuverin–2016 will be the seventh edition of joint exercise and is in continuation of a series of joint exercises between the Indian Army and Maldivian National Defence Force. The previous edition of the exercise was held at Thiruvananthapuram in 2015.

The aim of the joint exercise is to acquaint both forces with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of amphibious and counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism environment as also to enhance the existing military relationship between the Indian Army and the Maldivian National Defence Force.

The Indian Army contingent had landed at Male International Airport on December 14, 2016, on a C-130 military aircraft of the Indian Air Force. The exercise aims to enhance the interoperability between the Indian Army and Maldivian National Defence Forces in conducting joint operations and cement bonds of friendship between the two countries.