Formations of South Western Command are carrying out Exercise Vijay Prahar employing more than 20,000 troops, cutting edge equipment and state of the art force multipliers in the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges close to Suratgarh in Rajasthan.
Objective
The aim of the exercise is to fine-tune jointmanship with the Indian Air Force to maximise the impact of the joint operations. Notably, the IAF carried out exercise Gagan Shakti and demonstrated their capabilities and strength to handle adversaries.
The exercise is aimed to orchestrate wide spectrum of threats which are planned to be tackled through high tempo joint air and land operation involving hundreds of aircrafts, thousands of tanks and artillery pieces supported by real time intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and just in time logistic support.
The wargame will help the troops in bolstering their penetrative manoeuvres across obstacle-ridden terrain.
New Concepts
During the exercise, the formations of South Western Command are practising and operationalising certain innovative concepts of operating in the network centric environment, integrated employment of modern day sensors with the weapon platforms, employment of attack helicopters in the air cavalry role and bold offensive of application of the Special Forces.
The formations will refine their drills and procedures for fighting in the nuclear environment during the course of the exercise.
Brigadier Anil Gautam, General Staff (Information Warfare) noted that some of the areas being emphasised were real-time information, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, deployment and using satellite-based surveillance capabilities, drones, electronic warfare capabilities, radars with an aim to have a transparent battlefield.
The troops also integrated the inputs received from various sensors into the automated decision support system for quick and accurate decision making.
The month-long exercise that will conclude on May 9 and Army chief General Bipin Rawat, and Lt Gen Cherish Mathson, Army Commander, South Western Command and other senior officers are likely to witness the final phase.
About Exercise Gaganshakti 2018
The Air Force mobilised almost its entire fleet of combat and transport aircraft along with helicopters and ground-based assets for this exercise last month.
The exercises saw the entire IAF machinery move into top gear to simulate war scenarios in real-time. So, apart from its own sorties, bombing and air superiority missions, the Air Force also provided close air support for ground operations and carried out marine support with the Indian Navy. All relevant missions featured live fire drills.
Over a thousand IAF aircrafts were operated in this exercise while the rest were on standby, making it the largest exercise by the IAF.
About South-Western Command
The South Western Command of the Indian Army was established in April 2005 and became fully operational on 15 August 2005. It is headquartered at Jaipur, Rajasthan. The command’s operational units include I Corps, formerly under Central Command, and X Corps transferred from Western Command.
Further information about this exercise is classified in the interest national security.
