Visakhapatnam, Nov 3 (IANS) The fifth edition bilateral tri-service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) amphibious Exercise Tiger Triumph 2026 between India and the United States is underway in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, with forces from both countries training side-by-side to strengthen defence cooperation and enhance their ability to respond to regional crises, the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet said on Tuesday.
According to the US Navy, the service members from the US and Indian Armed Forces officially commenced Exercise Tiger Triumph 2026 with an opening ceremony in Visakhapatnam on Monday.
Tiger Triumph 2026 is a bilateral, combined joint exercise focused on advancing joint and combined interoperability for humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, tabletop staff planning, and integrated multi-domain command and control.
“Tiger Triumph represents the growing strength, sophistication, and shared commitment of the US-India Major Defence Partnership. Our bilateral training reinforces our shared commitment to regional stability, refines our combined operational coordination, and prepares our forces to rapidly respond to crises and natural disasters in the region,” said US Pacific Fleet Vice Commander US Navy Rear Adm. Joaquin Martinez de Pinillos.
Underscoring the significance of the joint exercise, Indian Navy Rear Admiral Vishal Bishnoi, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, said, “Our two countries share a strong and enduring partnership, built on mutual trust, professional respect and an expanding range of defence engagements. Exercise Tiger Triumph gives practical expression to this relationship by bringing together complementary capabilities of our armed forces in demanding humanitarian assistance and disaster response settings.”
Marking the fifth edition of the bilateral exercise series since its inception in 2019, Exercise Tiger Triumph 2026 incorporates staff planning, all-domain tabletop exercises and specialised training in command, control, cyber and space synchronisation.
In addition to bilateral operational planning, participating personnel will conduct subject-matter expert exchanges, community outreach, and cultural events to build lasting professional relationships, the US Navy stated.
The exercise comes amid continued efforts by India and the US to deepen their defence partnership.
Last week, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Cebu, Philippines, on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) and reviewed progress made under the defence framework between the two nations.
Taking to X, Singh said, “Had an excellent meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the 13th ADMM-Plus.”
“We reviewed the progress of our 10-year India-US Defence Framework, driving strategic convergence across military technology, information sharing, and co-production. Our robust partnership continues to be a cornerstone for a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific,” he added.
Following the discussions, Hegseth also took to X and said that it was “great” meeting with Defence Minister Singh.
“We celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Framework for our Major Defense Partnership and explored ways to strengthen cooperation,” he said.
–IANS
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