The Agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troop Movements is a bilateral military confidence-building measure (CBM) signed between India and Pakistan. It was signed on April 6, 1991, and came into force on August 19, 1992, to reduce the risk of miscalculation and unintended escalation. The agreement was a direct response to the heightened tensions caused by large, unannounced military deployments, such as the 1987 Exercise Brass Tacks crisis, which demonstrated the danger of misreading intentions.
The core mechanism of the agreement is to mandate transparency and predictability in military activity across land, air, and naval forces. It requires both sides to provide advance written notification for major exercises. The notice periods are tiered: 15 days for certain air and naval exercises, 60 days for corps-level exercises, and 90 days for army-level exercises. Furthermore, it stipulates that major military manoeuvres must be avoided in close proximity to the other country's territory.
A critical provision is Article 10, which is a technical safety measure for maritime operations. Article 10 mandates that naval ships and submarines of the two countries shall not close within three nautical miles (NMs) of each other while operating in international waters, a rule frequently cited during naval encounters. The agreement is part of a broader framework of CBMs, following the 1988 Non-Attack on Nuclear Installations Agreement. The agreement remains the operative framework, with recent incidents, such as the one involving PNS Hunain and an Indian Navy warship, bringing renewed focus to the enforcement of Article 10. The agreement has not been formally replaced or amended, and its provisions continue to be the reference point for diplomatic protests regarding military conduct.