The sixth edition of Indo - France joint military exercise “Ex SHAKTI 2021” has commenced at the Military School of Draguignan, France.

The Indian Army contingent is being represented by a composite team of three Officers, three Junior Commissioned Officers and 37 soldiers from a battalion of Gorkha Rifles and support Arms.

The Indian and French contingent, participating in joint military exercise 'EX-SHAKTI', also visited the MAZARGUES War Cemetery in Marseilles where 1,002 Indian soldiers of World War I were cremated.

The training so far has focused on aspects of joint planning, mutual understanding of conduct of operations and identification of coordination aspects required for jointly operating in a Counter Terrorism environment under United Nations mandate.

Shakti exercise is conducted alternately in India and France.

The last edition of the Shakti exercise had taken place in Rajasthan in 2019, in which “Counter Terrorism operations in semi-desert terrain were practised”