The exercise would help the Army’s Bhopal-based 21 Corpse to validate some of the new technologies it acquired in the last four years since its last major exercise, Dakshin Shakti.
The guns and tanks will be handled by 15000 troops from 21 Corpse, who would be supported by the IAF’s south-western command. The 15-day exercise would commence on December 1.
The exercise would take place in a theater of 175 km x 150 km area covering Barmer, Jaisalmer, Pokhran and Pachpadra, said an officer from 21 Corpse.
Both T-90 and T-72 tanks along with heavy duty guns would be in action in the exercise, the built up for which had began since September end.
Senior officials in the Army headquarters, however, ruled out any connection between the exercise and the recent developments across the border as the exercise was planned two-three years ago.
Pakistani government has been duly notified about the war game, which would take place 150-200 km away from the border. While the exercise will be based on the integrated theatre battle concept, its main purpose is to validate the new technologies like digitised control of artillery fire, battlefield surveillance and other equipment, which was acquired in the last four years.
None were tested in an integrated manner in a battlefield scenario although individually they pass the muster. This is the first time that the armed forces are going to test its new capability-based tactics in a battlefield scenario.
Under the new war-fighting concept, the entire combat resources and support elements will be managed through a single command centre at Pachpadra. President and Supreme Commander of the armed forces Pratibha Patil and Defence Minister A K Antony will witness the exercise on December 5.