The US is collaborating with Bangladesh’s Army and Navy to develop an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) capability for Bangladesh. A joint Bangladesh Regiment comprising personnel from both the Army and Navy will manufacture and operate highly sophisticated drones.
The joint regiment will operate the new RQ-21 Blackjack system, aiming to monitor its maritime domain, secure its borders, and conduct peacekeeping missions, according to the US official documents.
Since August, the Bangladesh Armed Forces and the United States military have conducted three joint exercises. Now, the US will deliver the RQ-21 system as part of the longstanding partnership to reinforce shared security interests.
Bangladesh is one of the recipients of the US excess defense articles. The US has previously donated patrol vessels, Hamilton-class cutters, surveillance drones, C-130 transport aircraft, and armed vehicles to the Bangladeshi armed forces.
The US also trained and equipped the Bangladesh Navy’s special operations forces and the army’s para commandos at US training facilities. Bangladesh Navy personnel are often offered scholarships at the US Naval Academy for higher training and studies.
RQ-21 Blackjack UAS
According to a statement by former US Ambassador Peter Haas on July 30, 2023, the US delivered small UAS to the SWADS and Para Commandos in 2022. The US also provided these special operations units with modern weapons, ammunition, body armour, advanced radio systems, and first aid equipment.
“Over the next year, we expect to deliver the highly capable Blackjack UAS, 35-foot SAFE Patrol Boats, and additional Zodiac Rigid Hull Boats. These systems will help Bangladesh conduct UN missions and defend its sovereignty,” he said at a speech at the Defence Services Command and Staff College in Dhaka.
The Trump administration was prepared to provide Bangladesh with more advanced capabilities through Foreign Military Sales if the then-prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, signed a security framework, known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).
Former US Ambassador Peter Haas on July 30, 2023
During the turbulent days of 2024, pro-Indian dictator Sheikh Hasina stated several times that a the US was trying to unseat her from power as she rejected its proposals to set up an airbase in the Bay of Bengal (Saint Martins Island), signing a defense deal, allowing to create a Christian state in the southeast region, and giving the deep-sea blocks to a US company without tender, among other demands. However, the US has denied any request made to Bangladesh to establish a military base or a deep-sea port. On the contrary, the US offer Bangladesh armed forces advanced training and modern weapons to maintain peace and democracy in the tiny nation.
Since Hasina has been in exile in India twice (in 1975 and 2024), the interim Bangladesh government has provided sufficient evidence to prove that Sheikh Hasina was keeping her master in Delhi happy while remaining in power and exercising her corrupt practices to embezzle and siphon billions of dollars from the country.
Sheikh Hasina used anti-US stance and fear to oppress freedom of speech, opposition politics and demoralised military by offering private businesses senior military officers to stay in power.
Now that Bangladesh’s interim government’s chief advisor, Mohammed Yunus, is strengthening democratic institutions and free speech in Bangladesh.
Tiger Lightning
The “Tiger Lightning 2025 (TL25)” was held between the Para Commando Brigade of the Bangladesh Army and the United States Nevada National Guard at the Jalalabad Cantonment, Sylhet, for six days from July 20-31, 2025.
This year, the exercise was held for the fourth consecutive year, providing army personnel with realistic training to develop readiness for counterterrorism, peacekeeping, jungle operations, medical evacuations, and countering improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Approximately 80 US forces participated in TL25. The US Army units include the 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry Regiment; 303rd Ordnance Battalion; the 555th Engineer Brigade; 418th Contracting Support Brigade; and the 8th Military Police Brigade.
It is an annual U.S/Bangladesh bilateral exercise to support the USARPAC Theatre Army Campaign Plan (TACP) and security cooperation plan objectives to enhance professional relationships, military operations, readiness and interoperability between the US and the Bangladesh Army formations.
Tiger Shark
The “Exercise Tiger Shark 2025” (part of the Flash Bengal series) is a joint training exercise in which the Special Forces of our two countries practice combat tasks. It was held in the first week of August in Chittagong.
“This joint military exercise reaffirms our commitment to a safer, stronger and more prosperous Indo-Pacific. It also symbolises the strong US-Bangladesh partnership,” US Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador Tracey Jacobson said in a statement on August 2.
Bangladesh and US military officials at Exercise Tiger Shark in Chittagong this year
The exercise, which has been ongoing since 2009, featured patrol boat handling and small arms marksmanship, aiming to strengthen Bangladesh’s Special Warfare Diving and Salvage and the Para Commando Brigade’s ability to respond to crises. One of the highlights of this combined exercise is the use of US equipment by both countries.
Tiger Shark reflects the enduring commitment of the United States and Bangladesh to promote peace, stability, and security in the Indo-Pacific region, the statement said.
The exercise involved personnel from the US Indo-Pacific Command and the Bangladesh Armed Forces and included integrated training in medical care, patrolling, marksmanship, swimming and diving, and close-quarters combat.
In addition to tactical training, Tiger Shark features subject matter expert exchanges, joint planning sessions, and simulation exercises. These engagements help facilitate a coordinated approach to future regional challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
US Indo-Pacific Command is America’s oldest and largest combatant command, overseeing US military activities across the Asia-Pacific region and working with partners to promote regional peace and stability.
Pacific Angel
This year’s “Exercise Pacific Angel 25-3” is the fourth iteration of Pacific Angel with Bangladesh. The seven-day SMEE operations will end on September 18.
The exercise highlighted one of the hallmarks of the defense relationship, with the US’s C-130 fleets, which are critical in disaster response airdrops and air mobility operations. The exercise also focused on Search and Rescue (SAR) and Aeromedical operations, further developing Bangladesh’s ability to respond to humanitarian disasters.
To observe the exercise, US Chargé d’Affaires Jacobson joined senior Bangladesh Armed Forces officials at Zahurul Haque Cantonment in Chittagong on September 16.
A statement of the US Embassy said that the multilateral exercise brings together nearly 92 US and 90 Bangladesh Air Force personnel, 2 Sri Lanka Air Force medical personnel, the Oregon Air National Guard, and regional partners to enhance cooperation in medical readiness, air safety, engineering support, and disaster management operations.
However, the Bangladesh Armed Forces media wing (ISPR) said that 150 officers of the Air Force took part in the exercise, not 90 as mentioned by the US.
“Pacific Angel 25 highlights the United States’ and Bangladesh’s ongoing commitment to defense cooperation and humanitarian preparedness, strengthening the ability to respond swiftly and effectively to future crises. By simulating real-world crises, Pacific Angel enhances the capacity of partner nations to respond to natural disasters, builds regional resilience, and reinforces long-term security cooperation across the Indo-Pacific,” said the statement.
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