By Xu Lingkang, An Yuan, and Wang Peng
CHENGDU, Dec.18 (ChinaMil) -- The China-India "Hand-in-Hand 2018" joint counter-terrorism training entered its sixth day on December 16.The joint drills shifted from individual subject to coordinated tactical command.
In the coordinated tactical command training phase, the officers and soldiers participating in the drills would jointly complete training in 12 subjects, including theoretical research on counter-terrorism tactics and improvised explosive device disposal, as well as field training in sign language communication, formation tactics, search and blockade and control skills.
Zhou Jun, head of the Chinese commanding team of the joint drill, said that in order to enhance the understanding and coordination between Chinese and Indian officers and soldiers, each counter-terrorism operation team consists of two personnel from each side.
In order to improve the difficulty of joint training, the two sides also envisaged anti-terrorism actions in various backgrounds such as no roads, being spotted by the enemy in advance and bad weather to make the training closer to actual combat requirements.
"The Chinese and Indian officers and soldiers participating in the drills are very professional. Sometimes, although they don't understand each other's words, they only need one gesture or one look to communicate quickly," said Ren Zhengxiong, commander of the Mixed A Company. Tactical coordination helps both parties to familiarize themselves with each other's tactical skills and organizational methods and procedures, while also helping to train their joint counter-terrorism capabilities in a more realistic battlefield environment.
The China-India joint counter-terrorism training ushered in a special momenton the evening of December 16. The Chinese and Indian participants gathered together to celebrate for seven Chinese and Indian officers and soldiers who spent their birthdays duringthe joint training. The Chinese participants performed bamboo flute solos, while the Indian side sang traditional Indian songs. An Indian soldier was very excited after receiving his birthday gift, a Chinese panda toy, saying, "I am very happy and moved to be able to have a birthday party in China. It's my pleasure to have had such a wonderful time with everyone."