Indian Armed Forces II Indian Military Training Team, Bhutan
The Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), is a training mission of the Indian Army in Bhutan. IMTRAT is responsible for the training of the personnel of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) and the Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan (RBG).
Indian Armed Forces
Indian Military Training Team, Bhutan
The Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), is a training mission of the Indian Army in Bhutan. IMTRAT is responsible for the training of the personnel of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) and the Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan (RBG).
Haa Dzong - IMTRAT Headquarters in Bhutan
Home / News & Blogs / Indian Army / Special Entry Schemes
Ms Aditi Joshi, Editorial Team, First Step Defence Academy January 15, 2023
The Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT), is a training mission of the Indian Army in Bhutan. IMTRAT is responsible for the training of the personnel of the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) and the Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan (RBG). It is the oldest training team sent outside India to a friendly foreign nation.
IMTRAT is headquartered at Haa Dzong in Western Bhutan. This training mission has been in place since 1961-62 and is a key aspect of the strong defense cooperation between India and Bhutan.
Historical Perspective.
The relationship between India and Bhutan is relationship of friendship which is deep rooted as per Indo Bhutan Friendship Treaty, 1949, which includes provisions for cooperation on national interests and security.
In May 1961, Government of India sent a team of military officers and men on a reconnaissance mission to Bhutan. The team was led by BGS XXXIII Corps Brigadier J. S. Aurora (who later became Lieutenant General and Eastern Army Commander during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971).
On 20th July 1962, Colonel B. N. Upadhyay of the 9th Gorkha Rifles took over as First Commandant of IMTRAT.
The Wangchuk Lo Dzong Military School (WLDMS) was raised on 16 October 1962 and commenced training with 22 officer cadets and 49 non-commissioned officers.
Commandant. The office of the commandant was held by an officer of the rank of colonel, but was later upgraded to brigadier. Currently, the commandant is a two-star appointment. Bhutan does not have a Minister of Defence, so the Commandant of IMTRAT acts as an informal advisor to the King of Bhutan, who is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the RBA.
Training Establishments. Apart from the WLDMS, IMTRAT runs the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Hospital (IBFH). It was established in 1970 and was inaugurated by the then Commandant Major General T. V. Jeganathan, PVSM, AVSM. IMTRAT also runs a mobile clinic at Haa. The Indian Army also maintains a detachment in the capital city of Thimphu
No Indian Military Occupation. It's important to clarify that while the Indian Army provides training and support, there is no Indian military occupation of Bhutan. The relationship is based on mutual cooperation and respect for Bhutan's sovereignty.
Final Thoughts. Indian Military Training Team is part of India's broader strategy to enhance its security, project its influence, and counter potential threats and contain Chinese’s Expansionism Designs.
