India USA conducts TARKASH Exercise

Current context: The TARKASH military exercise was recently conducted by India and the USA in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This exercise was unique as it focused on CBRN terror response, where CBRN stands for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear.

• The exercise involved the Special Operation Forces of the USA and the National Security Guard of India.
• CBRN terror response refers to the training and strategies used to counteract and respond to the use of CBRN weapons, which can cause massive destruction. Recent incidents, such as the use of Sarin gas in Syria in 2017, have highlighted the importance of such responses.
• The exercise is believed to have been launched against the backdrop of the Ukraine war, where a chemical attack occurred in the Kharkiv region in 2022, leading to both countries blaming each other for the incident.
• CBRN war tactics are increasing, and when terrorists and enemy countries are unable to fight directly, they may resort to using such methods. For example, chemical weapons such as mustard gases and biological weapons such as Anthrax have been used. Some have even speculated that the COVID virus may have been used as a biological weapon by China against its economic rivals.
• Therefore, the TARKASHA exercise was significant in enhancing the skills and preparedness of the soldiers to respond to such threats and minimize the impact of CBRN weapons.

Question:

Q.1 Where was TARKASHA military exercise conducted?
a. India
b. USA
c. Japan
d. France