Bangladesh-US joint military exercise 'Tiger Lightning' begins Sunday

The United States Army and Bangladesh Armed Forces will formally inaugurate the annual joint exercise 'Tiger Lightning-2026' on Sunday (July 19) .

The US Embassy in Dhaka confirmed the matter on Saturday (July 18) .

The embassy said more than 160 military personnel from both countries will participate in this bilateral exercise, which will further strengthen mutual cooperation and enhance operational capabilities in real-world scenarios .

Tiger Lightning includes training on jungle operations, counter-terrorism activities and tactical combat casualty care. The training will allow both countries to gain deeper knowledge of each other's skills. This bilateral exercise is part of the US Army Pacific's Theatre Army Campaign Plan and security cooperation programme .

The objectives of the exercise are to strengthen professional relationships, enhance military operational skills, improve readiness, and further strengthen mutual coordination and interoperability between the US Army and the Bangladesh Army .

Tiger Lightning is a bilateral joint military exercise between the US Army and Bangladesh Armed Forces that began in 2017. It was temporarily suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic but has been held consecutively for the past five years .

The exercise will be conducted in classroom and field environments, with a full-scale field training exercise scheduled for the concluding phase .