NEW DELHI, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- India and Russia Monday began preparing for a joint military exercise to counter terrorists, Indo-Asian News Service reported Monday.

    The week-long exercise, codenamed Indra 2005, is the largest such air and land maneuvers by the armed forces of the two countries and will feature the special forces of the two sides and comes close on the heels of a massive Russia-China war game.

    This will be the first time the militaries of India and Russia will train jointly to counter terrorists.

    Three Russian Il-76 transport aircraft carrying some 150 paratroopers and special machinery and equipment flew into the TajMahal city of Agra Monday, where the two sides will prepare for the exercise to be held in the Thar desert in Rajasthan state bordering Pakistan.

    "The Russian paratroopers will exchange their concepts and skills with India's airborne forces in para-trooping, endurance, weapon skills and in combating terrorism," said an Indian Army spokesman.

    Col. Gen. Alexander Kolmakov, the commander of Russia's airborne troops, who is in India, was quoted as saying that the main aim of the training was to develop cooperation to deal with a terrorist attack and the exercise was not against third countries.     

    Officials from India's defense ministry said the exercise would aim to boost "inter-operability" between the land forces of the two sides for possible future operations during international peacekeeping missions.

    The exercise will also include a naval element that will see five warships from Russia's Pacific Fleet training with Indian vessels in the Bay of Bengal. The warships will train to fire at sea and aerial targets.

    During the simulated war games in Rajasthan, Russian and Indian paratroopers will land in an area occupied by "illegal armed groups" and neutralize "terrorist training bases" and free "hostages" held at a camp.

    The training will include the para-dropping of armored vehicles, anti-tank guided missiles and artillery.

    The Russian paratroopers will be equipped with the latest arms in a bid to showcase the equipment for the Indian Army's top brass.Russian forces will field specialized anti-terror weapons like sniper guns, anti-material rifles and long distance specialized rockets.

    This year, the Indian Army has conducted joint training with the US Army, both in India and the US.

    The joint training will be witnessed by Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Lavrov and Gen. J.J. Singh, the Indian Army chief, besides a large contingent of senior officers and experts from both countries.

    India and Russia held large-scale naval exercises in the Arabian Sea in 2003 after the US-led intervention in Afghanistan.

    Despite the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia remains one ofIndia's closest military allies and accounts for more than 70 percent of India's military arsenal. Enditem