Indian Army contingent comprising 137 personnel will participate in the multinational tri-services joint military exercise, BRIGHT STAR-23, from 31 August to 14 September 2023 at Mohammed Naguib Military Base in Egypt. The military exercise will be led by US CENTCOM and Egyptian Army.
In 2023, 34 countries will participate in BRIGHT STAR-23 with a total strength of 549 personnel. It will be the largest ever joint military exercise in the Middle East and North Africa region. Participating in the exercise for the first time, the Indian Army is being represented by a contingent from 23 JAT Battalion.
Exercise BRIGHT STAR-23 will include a large number of training activities focused on combating emerging unconventional threats and enhancing regional partnerships among participating nations aimed at maintaining world peace. In addition to these field and situational training exercises, BRIGHT STAR-23 will include a combined arms live firing exercise based on a tactical setting. A panel discussion on contemporary topics is also planned to be conducted on Cyber Security for which the Indian Armed Forces are the lead force.
The exercise was initially conceptualised as a bilateral biennial training exercise between the US and Egypt during the Camp David Accord of 1977. Its first edition was conducted in 1980 in Egypt. From 1995 onwards, the exercise was expanded for participation by other nations. The previous exercise BRIGHT STAR was conducted in 2021 wherein armed forces of 21 countries participated.
