Indian, U.S. militaries conclude joint humanitarian aid exercise in Visakhapatnam

It is the second collaboration between the two militaries to coordinate disaster relief in the Indo-Pacific region

The three-day joint humanitarian assistance exercise called ‘Tiger Triumph’ by the Indian and U.S. militaries concluded here on Thursday at the Eastern Naval Command.

‘Tiger Triumph’ was a table-top simulation of joint response to provide disaster relief services to a notional third country that experienced a super-cyclone, by Indian and U.S. military and diplomatic representatives.

“India is an indispensable partner and leader in advancing stability and security throughout South Asia and the greater Indian Ocean Region. I am encouraged by the team’s work on increasing interoperability and exercising bilateral agreements to develop and validate a multinational command and control model for humanitarian assistance in this region,” said Major General Christopher McPhillips, Director of Strategic Planning and Policy of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

The exercise was the second collaboration between the Indian and U.S. militaries to coordinate disaster relief in the region.

The first exercise was also based in Visakhapatnam and it took place over the course of nine days in November 2019 and featured more than 500 U.S. Marines and sailors and approximately 1,200 Indian sailors, soldiers, and airmen.

This year’s exercise involved 50 combined participants, and was focused on staff planning, with an emphasis on processes for streamlining diplomatic, operational, and logistical coordination. 

“Tiger Triumph is a perfect illustration of how the United States and India are working together to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Jennifer Larson, U.S. Consul General, Hyderabad.