An Indo-French joint military training exercise Shakti 2011 was held at Chaubattia from October 9 to 21, under the aegis of the Garud Division. The French Army was represented by four officers and 50 troops of the 13 Mountain Infantry Battalion while an equal number of officers and troops participated from Second Battalion of the Bihar Regiment, under the aegis of 99 Mountain Brigade of the Indian Army.

Exercise Shakti–11, the first ever Indo-French exercise between the two nations, aimed not only at training troops in counter terrorist operations but also in enhancing defence cooperation and military relations between the two nations. It provided an ideal platform for the personnel of the two countries to share their experiences on counter-terrorist operations; especially in mountainous terrain. The exercise was conducted in the areas adjoining the salubrious town of Ranikhet which provided an excellent opportunity for the contingents of the two countries to practise and rehearse drills and procedures related to operations in this rugged terrain.

The activities conducted during training includes familiarisation with weapons & equipment being used by both the countries, introduction to the organisation, concept and basic tactics at infantry company and platoon level and modalities of conducting complex operations like area domination patrols, cordon and search operations and search and destroy operations in counter-insurgency environment. Personnel from the French contingent also got a chance to fire infantry weapons being used by the Indian Army during day as well as night.

The training culminated in a 48 hours consolidation exercise in which troops of both nations carried out a daring search and destroy operation in the general area of Pilkholi village on the outskirts of Ranikhet. The troops had reached the area of operations after a gruelling march throughout the night and thereafter carried out a precise, well coordinated and executed operation to neutralise the two terrorists hiding in the dense forests of Pilkholi.

The highlight of the event was an audacious and surgical raid by heliborne commandoes of both armies on a simulated target. The commandoes of the French Army also employed their paragliding skills and laid effective stops by employing three paragliding commandoes during the raid.

The final phase of the exercise was reviewed by Brigadier General Herve Wattecamps and Colonel Bertrand Lavaux as representatives of France and Major General Rajesh Arya, Vishishtha Seva Medal, General Officer Commanding, 6 Mountain Division and Brigadier A.K. Yadav, Commander, 99 Mountain Brigade.