About Exercise Maitree
- Exercise Maitree is a bilateral joint military exercise between the Indian Army and the Royal Thai Army.
- It was instituted in 2006, originally under the name TICAFE, and was renamed Maitree in 2013.
- The exercise is conducted as part of the ongoing military-to-military exchange programme between the two countries under the aegis of their respective armies, and operational scenarios within it are framed under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
Objectives
- Interoperability: joint training in terrain common to both countries, including jungle, semi-urban, and urban environments, to build coordinated operational capability.
- Counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency: sharing of Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) and operational experience against asymmetric and insurgent threats.
- Defence diplomacy: reinforcing India-Thailand strategic and defence ties within the wider Indo-Pacific security framework.
Training Components
- Core drills: company-level counter-terrorist and counter-insurgency operations, tactical drills, joint planning, special arms skills, and raiding operations.
- Specialised modules: drone and counter-drone operations, cordon-and-search operations, heliborne operations, casualty evacuation, jungle survival, and combat first aid.
- Validation: each edition typically concludes with a multi-day validation exercise simulating realistic joint operational scenarios.
Key Facts
| Parameter | Detail |
| Instituted | 2006 (originally named TICAFE; renamed Maitree in 2013) |
| Framework | Operational scenarios conducted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter |
| MAITREE-XIII (2024) | Fort Vachiraprakan, Tak Province, Thailand; 1-15 July 2024 |
| MAITREE-XIV (2025) | Joint Training Node, Umroi, Meghalaya; 1-14 September 2025; Indian side led by a battalion of the Madras Regiment |
| MAITREE-XV (2026) | Vibhavadi Rangsit Camp, Surat Thani, Thailand; 18-31 August 2026; Indian contingent drawn mainly from 9 Gorkha Rifles |
Strategic Significance
- The exercise functions as a practical instrument of India’s Act East Policy and its engagement with ASEAN on defence matters.
- It forms part of India’s broader military diplomacy aimed at reinforcing security cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region.
Conclusion
Exercise Maitree remains the principal Army-level joint training platform between India and Thailand, sustaining an unbroken annual cycle since 2006. Its consistent focus on counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in jungle and semi-urban terrain, conducted under a UN Chapter VII framework, keeps it a recurring and testable example of India’s bilateral defence cooperation in Southeast Asia.
| This concept has been elaborately discussed in the following article – Indian Army Departs for Exercise MAITREE-XV in Thailand |