Indian Army awarded best patrolling force in the world

New Delhi/IANS:-The Indian Army has emerged the best patrolling force in the world with a team from the Gorkha Rifles regiment winning an international competition also called the Olympics of Patrolling. The gold medal is the first won by an Indian contingent.

The 4th Battalion of the 9 Gorkha Rifles regiment from the Bhopal-based 21 'Sudharshan Chakra' Corps participated in the annual Cambrian Patrol Competition at Wales in England last month.

It emerged the gold medal winner beating 100 teams, including 14 teams from national armies of foreign countries.

The Southern Army Commander, Lt. Gen. A.K. Singh, felicitated the team during his visit to the Rajasthan desert where the battalion has its headquarters, an army officer said here.

The Cambrian Patrol Competition is a widely-renowned military event conducted by the British Army and is held under adverse battle conditions in arduous jungle and mountain terrain.

"The aim of the Cambrian Patrol is to provide a challenging patrol exercise in order to develop operational capability as a mission oriented tactical team," the officer said.

The performance of the team hinges around leadership, team work, physical fitness, mental robustness and above all, tactical skills involving reconnaissance techniques, navigation, first aid and casualty evacuation.

The British Army has conducted Cambrian Patrol Competition for the last 40 years, where participants include teams from foreign armies.