NATO Begins Cold Response Exercise
NATO commenced its biennial Arctic military exercise, Cold Response, on March 9, 2026, with participation from around 25,000 troops across 14 nations, including the US and Denmark. The exercise is scheduled to run until March 19, 2026, with the US expected to deploy approximately 4,000 troops for the drills.
India and Seychelles Conduct Lamitiye
On the same day, India and Seychelles launched the 11th edition of the military exercise ‘Lamitiye,’ which translates to ‘friendship’ in the Creole language. This exercise will conclude on March 20, 2026, and marks the participation of all three branches of the Indian Armed Forces. Exercise Lamitiye has been a biennial training event in Seychelles since 2001.
BJP MLA Abhay Patil has raised concerns regarding the Election Commission of India’s electors mapping exercise in Belagavi, stating, “I think only around 20% of the names have been mapped in the last three months in Belagavi city.” He highlighted that around 60,000 names were left out from the first round of mapping in the Belagavi South constituency, calling the situation “unacceptable.”
The NATO mission Arctic Sentry was previously launched to defuse tensions with Trump over Greenland, indicating the strategic importance of Arctic operations.
As these military exercises unfold, observers are closely monitoring the implications for international defense collaboration and regional security dynamics.
