IAF conducts 5 day high-intensity drill for Special Forces

An integrated TriService Special Forces exercise was conducted by the India Air Force IAF at Jodhpurs Air Force Station from February 2428 as per the official statementThe exercise was named Exercise Desert Hunt 2025 and involved elite Para Special Forces from the Indian Army the Marine Commandos from the Indian Navy along the Garud Special Forces from the Indian Air Force participating together in a simulated combat environmentAs per the statement the highintensity drill was aimed at enhancing interoperability coordination and synergy among the three Special Forces units in order to ensure a swift and effective response towards rising security challengesThe exercise featured a range of highintensity operations including airborne insertions precision strikes hostage rescues counterterrorism operations combat free falls and urban warfare scenarios These activities were designed to rigorously test the combat readiness of the forces under realistic and challenging conditionsThe exercise was overseen by senior military officials to validate joint doctrines and served as a platform to reinforce the Indian Armed Forces commitment to enhancing national security through seamless interservice cooperation the statement saidIndian Navys Ex INS Guldar to become Indias first underwater museum and artificial reefIn a historic step by the Government of India the Indian Navy handed over Ex INS Guldar a Landing Ship Tank Medium to Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Limited MTDC on 21 February 2025 to be converted into an underwater museum and artificial reef This is the first initiative in India to use a decommissioned ship of the Indian NavyThe ship was handed over to MTDC at Karwar on an lsquoas is where isrsquo basis MTDC has taken the ship under their charge to convert it into an underwater museum and artificial reefThe conversion will be undertaken by MTDC and will involve complete cleaning of the ship to remove any potential pollutants hazardous materials ensuring environmental clearances as per guidelines for marine conservation obtaining various NOCs and scuttling the ship at Sindhudurg ensuring all safety precautionsEx INS Guldar A Polnocny Class Landing Ship was built at Gdynia Shipyard Poland and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 30 December 1985 The ship was part of the Eastern Naval Command from 1985 to 1995 before being repositioned at Andaman and Nicobar Command where she served till her decommissioning on 12 January 2024The ship rendered 39 years of yeomen service to the nation during which she sailed for over 3900 days and successfully conducted over 490 beaching operations to land Army troops ashore The ship participated in various operations beyond her primary landing ship role including Op Aman Op Azad Op Pawan and Op Tasha