Pune: Two elite K-9 operators (dogs) of the Indian Army impressed everyone with their skills during the third edition of the bilateral Indo-Australia joint exercise“Austrahind”, which concluded on Thursday at Aundh Military Station.
Among the star performers was Magnet, an Explosive Detection Dog (ED) from Southern Command’s 25 Army Dog Unit, whose seamless integration with the Bomb Disposal Squad (BD) raised the bar for the exercise. On a parallel front, Allan, an attack dog from the Remount Veterinary Corps Center & College of Meerut in UP, emerged as a formidable force multiplier in close combat exercises.
Major General David John Thomae, commander of the Australian Second Division, while talking to TOI on the sidelines, said, “We are impressed with the tactical capabilities of the Indian Army. For example, how their engineers with their dogs work effectively at the tactical level during an operation It here is something we would like to adopt.”
The Indian Army has Labradors, German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Swiss Mountain Dogs and Mudhol Dogs. These K-9s are the ones that readily detect bio-explosives and plastic improvised explosive devices (IEDs). “The magnet’s razor-sharp olfactory precision proved indispensable in detecting IEDs, ensuring thorough area clearance in simulated war-like scenarios,” said a senior officer.
“On the other hand, Allan demonstrated surgical precision in high-stakes building clearance and counter-terrorism operations. With unmatched agility and instinctive threat neutralization, he operated as the vanguard and engaged fearless adversaries in simulated hostile environments,” the officer added.
These “silent warriors” have demonstrated a fusion of specialized training and roles when deployed for tactical tasks.