Pune: Two elite K-9 operatives (dogs) of the Indian Army impressed everyone with their skills during the third edition of the bilateral Indo-Australia joint exercise, “Austrahind”, that concluded on Thursday at the Aundh Military Station.
Among the star performers was Magnet, an explosive detection (ED) dog from the Southern Command’s 25 Army Dog Unit, whose seamless integration with the bomb disposal (BD) squad elevated the standards of the exercise. On a parallel front, Allan, an assault dog from Remount Veterinary Corps Centre & College of Meerut in UP, emerged as a formidable force multiplier in close-quarter combat drills.
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 instance, how their engineers with their dogs operate effectively at the tactical level during an operation. This is something we would like to adopt.”
The Indian Army has Labradors, German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Great Mountain Swiss Dogs, and Mudhol Hounds. These K-9s are the ones who easily detect bio explosives and plastic Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs. “Magnet’s razor-sharp olfactory precision proved indispensable in detecting IEDs, ensuring meticulous area sanitisation in simulated war-like scenarios,” a senior officer said.
“On the other hand, Allan, demonstrated surgical precision in high-stakes building clearance and counter-terrorism operations. With unmatched agility and instinctual threat neutralisation, he served as the vanguard, fearlessly engaging adversaries in simulated hostile environments,” the officer added.
These “silent warriors” have shown fusion of specialised training and roles when deployed for tactical tasks.
