The 4th edition of the bilateral joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) amphibious exercise between India and the United States of America – Tiger Triumph 2025 – started on Wednesday with the opening ceremony conducted onboard the Indian Navy’s INS Jalashwa (L41).

Showcasing the deepening convergence of US-India strategic maritime interests and the countries’ defense partnership, the joint exercise aims to further enhance the interoperability and combined joint all-domain operations during large-scale HADR operations.

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A joint statement issued by the Indian Navy’s spokesperson stated that the harbour phase of the exercise, underway at Visakhapatnam, involves a planning process for the execution of various training events at sea, as well as further refinement of procedures established in previous iterations of Tiger Triumph.

In addition, the harbor phase will include training and Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) events on a range of professional subjects, such as special operations, emergency medical response procedures, and operations across the air, maritime, cyber and space domains.

The sea phase of the exercise, scheduled to begin from April 8, wull have the bilateral forces working together to train for maritime, amphibious and HADR operations through a Joint Combined Command and Control Center. This phase will conclude with establishment of a joint combined humanitarian relief and medical response camp following an amphibious landing at Kakinada.

Participating units from the Indian Navy include Landing Platform Dock INS Jalashwa with integral landing crafts and helicopters, the Delhi-class guided-missile destroyer INS Mumbai (D62), Magar-class amphibious assault ship INS Gharial (L23), Deepak-class fleet tanker INS Shakti (A57) and PBI Long-Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft, MH60R Helicopters and Hawk Aircraft.

The Indian Army will be represented by an Infantry Battalion group, including Mechanised Forces, and Special Operations Forces from all the three services will also participate in the exercise. Cyber and Space specialists will also participate in the exercise.

The Indian Air force will demonstrate the capability of C130, Mi-17 V5 and showcase the air portable BHISMA medical equipment.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Task Force would comprise a US Navy Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45), with embarked US Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance battalion, as well as the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) and a Navy P8A Poseidon aircraft.

The US Space Force and Air Force are supporting the exercise with subject matter experts and a C-130J aircraft, respectively. The US Army will be represented by a platoon, medical platoon, Civil-Military Operations Center and Multi-Domain Task Force Combined Information Effects Fusion Cell.