Opening ceremony of exercise of ‘Tiger Triumph 2026’ held at MWC

Visakhapatnam: The opening ceremony of the 5th edition of the India–US Bilateral Tri-Service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise ‘Tiger Triumph 2026’ was held at the Maritime Warfare Centre (MWC) in Visakhapatnam.

The exercise, conducted as a Tabletop Exercise (TTX) this year, aims to enhance coordination, joint planning and interoperability between the Armed Forces of both countries during large-scale HADR operations. The opening ceremony held on November 2 was presided over by Rear Admiral Vishal Bishnoi, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, and Rear Admiral Joaquin J Martinez de Pinillos, Vice Commander, US Pacific Fleet. The exercise reflects the deepening convergence of India–US strategic maritime interests and the growing defence partnership between the two nations. This edition aims to further enhance interoperability and facilitate the conduct of combined joint all-domain operations, focusing on planning and coordination for large-scale HADR operations.

Participating units from the Indian side include specialists from all domains of maritime operations from the Indian Navy, ground forces from the Indian Army, representatives from various units of the Indian Air Force, as well as Special Forces personnel from all three services. A team from the NDRF will also participate for the first time in the 5th edition of Tiger Triumph 2026. The US Joint Force comprises specialist representatives from various domains of the US Armed Forces, including the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy, along with specialists in space, cyber, medical and explosive ordnance disposal.

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