Kathmandu, Sep 7 (PTI) The fifth edition of Sagarmatha Friendship, a joint military exercise between Nepal Army and the Peoples Liberation Army of China, kicked off in Kathmandu on Sunday.
There will be knowledge exchanged between the two armies during the 10-day long joint military exercise on matters related to disaster management, United Nations Peace Mission and counter-terrorism among others, a press release by Nepal Army said.
The joint military exercise is being organised in Nepal and China on rotation basis since 2017.
“Nepal Army has been participating in such types of bilateral and multilateral military exercises and professional competitions involving friendly countries with a view to enhancing the capacity of Nepal Army in various subjects,” it said.
Nepal and India hold a military exercise called ‘Surya Kiran’ every year.
The Nepali Army also regularly conducts joint military exercises with several other countries, including the United States, a local media report said.
On Sunday, news portal Nepal News said, “Around 150 soldiers from the Nepal Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army are participating in platoon-level drills focusing on counter-terrorism, disaster response, high-altitude operations, and joint operational readiness.” The inaugural edition was organised in Kathmandu in April 2017; followed by the second in Chengdu, China, in September 2018, and the third was held in Nepal during August–September 2019, it said.
The drills were suspended from 2020 to 2022 due to COVID19 restrictions, and the fourth edition resumed in Chongqing in southwest China, in September-October 2024.
Earlier on August 28, China’s state-run Global Times quoted China Central Television (CCTV) report from 2024, which said that during the China-Nepal Sagarmatha Friendship-2024 joint army training, the Chinese side deployed some intelligent equipment, including a type of robot dog, a type of through-wall radar and a type of self-propelled ball-shaped reconnaissance drone.
Global Times quoted Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, who said as China and Nepal border the Himalayas, where devastating earthquakes can occur, both countries have the need to enhance their joint disaster relief capabilities.
Expecting unmanned equipment to again be a part of this year’s Sagarmatha Friendship joint training, Song said that the likes of drones and robot dogs can play important roles in counter-terrorism and disaster relief missions.
He noted that Nepal is a high-altitude country, with its thin air impacting human troops’ operational capabilities, unmanned equipment could provide additional help and boost efficiency.
Sagarmatha is the Nepali name for Mount Everest, the tallest mountain peak in the world at 8,849 metres (29,032 feet). PTI SBP NPK NPK
