JTN Umroi: A testimony of Army’s positive engagement in Defence Cooperation

Indian Army has engaged positively in the field of Defence Cooperation by conducting 36 joint exercises with 22 Friendly Foreign Countries.

Aiming to host foreign armies for Joint Training Exercises, the Indian Army had conceptualised and created an Independent and fully integrated Joint Training Node (JTN) at Umroi in 2016. Umroi is located on the Northern foothills of Shillong, along the Umiam River. Umroi was envisaged as a JTN keeping in mind the conducive weather conditions and terrain configuration offering optimal training environment.

It has been developed at par with training centres of leading armies of the world.

The ongoing ‘Harimau Shakti’, a joint bilateral training exercise of the Indian and Malaysian armies at the JTN Umroi bear a testimony of this and has furthered deepened, fostered a sense of unity and shared purpose. It aims not only to strengthen global security but also to establish a platform for mutual growth and understanding among the nations.

This amalgamation of cutting edge technology with traditional training methods establishes an unparalleled learning environment, shaping the next generation of military leadership.

The ongoing exercise at this excellent facility arc a testament to the power of international collaboration and the relentless pursuit of military excellence, enhancing cooperation and interoperability and serving as a beacon of hope for a more secure and rules based international order.

JTN Umroi is the nominated Node of the Eastern Command of Indian Army for conduct of Joint Exercises with Friendly Foreign Countries. In last seven years it has matured as a Centre of Excellence for International Army Joint Training and focussed on strengthening military level exchanges.

The training area spreads over 2,500 acres encompasses state of the art training facilities for the conduct of the Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorist operations in Semi-Urban and Jungle environment under the mandate of United Nations for Peace Keeping and Peace Enforcement operations.

The training areas include an 800 meter Sniper Range with 6 firing lanes and elevated platforms. A challenging 1.4 kilometres Battle Obstacle Course with 17 obstacles, culminating into the 300 meter Range with eight firing lanes, which is utilised for training on endurance and firing skills. The 200 meter Jungle Lane Shooting Area and Indoor Combat Reflex Shooting Range is optimally designed to train on Jungle and Urban Warfare including the Counter Terrorist Village Training Area in training of house intervention operations. The Special operations training area enables training of soldiers for heliborne operations.