The country’s top military officials will also attend the event.
Jaisalmer:
In the arid region of Pokhran in Rajasthan, the stage has been set for the massive ‘Bharat Shakti’ exercise, which will showcase the prowess of indigenously manufactured defense equipment of the three services on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Modi will witness a comprehensive tri-service firepower and maneuver exercise lasting about 50 minutes. The country’s top military officials will also attend the event.
#watch | Rajasthan | Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with representatives from over 30 countries will watch the ‘Bharat Shakti’ exercise at the Pokhran Range in Jaisalmer. This exercise will demonstrate the firepower capabilities and combat capabilities of domestically produced weapons… pic.twitter.com/LQJMmHWecn
— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2024
LCA Tejas, ALH Mk-IV, LCH Prachand, Mobile Anti-UAV System, BMP-II and its variants, NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier), T90 Tanks, Dhanush, K9 Vajra and Pinaka Rockets are the ones that will be in Pokhran, It is about 100 kilometers away from Jaisalmer city.
A senior official said that everything is ready for the mega exercise.
Major General CS Mann, Additional Director, Army Design Bureau, told reporters on Saturday that ‘Bharat Shakti’ will showcase the prowess of indigenously manufactured defense equipment of the three services.
He said this would demonstrate the “shock and awe” impact that the armed forces seek to achieve in operational situations with mobility and combat capabilities.
“In the Indian context, coordinated joint operations will be decisive. Efforts will be made to demonstrate tri-service capabilities through live-fire firepower and maneuver demonstrations to counter any threat using indigenous capabilities and the ability to deal with conflicts in the face of global turmoil,” Major General Mann said earlier. Said this when announcing the details of the exercise.
Defense establishment sources said the first exercise of this scale “is not targeted in any direction (northern or western borders) or against any adversary”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness the ‘Bharat Shakti’ exercise in Pokhran, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Sunday.
“‘Bharat Shakti’ highlights the resilience, innovation and strength of India’s domestic defense capabilities on the global stage, clearly demonstrating India’s readiness to address and overcome current and future challenges through indigenous solutions,” the report said.
“The program reflects India’s strong strides towards ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in the defense sector by showcasing the strength and operational capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces and the ingenuity and commitment of the indigenous defense industry,” the statement said.
The exercise to be held at Pokhran in Jaisalmer district will also showcase systems and platforms integrated with artificial intelligence (AI).
“It will demonstrate real-time integrated multi-domain operations of the three services in offensive operations using indigenous equipment” and “highly coordinated, multi-service, multi-domain capabilities to demonstrate inter-service synergy,” an official said.
The exercise was conducted in Pokhran, imposing terrain constraints on depicting naval exercises. However, such equipment will be displayed as part of the static display following the live demonstration.
He added that during this demonstration, “the latest indigenous equipment of all three services… will be showcased in ‘shock and awe’ what impact they will have on the adversary, their physical capabilities and mental state.”
The operation will begin with Army Special Forces, Indian Navy’s Marcos and Indian Air Force’s Garud forces “with infiltration and taxiing operations through all-terrain vehicles, while battlefield surveillance will be carried out by remotely piloted aircraft and drones.” What will follow will be Long-range vectors and artillery damage to targets,” he said.
The Indian Air Force will “achieve a favorable air situation by striking deep against strategic targets, while the Navy will conduct maritime operations to achieve strategic effect,” the senior official said, adding that the naval component of the exercise (conducted at sea) will be conducted at Displayed digitally on the screen.
In addition to firepower and ammunition, logistical capabilities for transporting equipment and evacuating casualties using the latest technology will be demonstrated.
The exercise will include various types of radars, drone-launched precision-guided munitions, quick-reaction combat vehicles, various types of drones (including logistics drones and drone swarms), and 3D-printed bunkers.
India’s cyber and multi-domain operations capabilities are also integrated with the operations of these three services. The exercise will also highlight India’s growing emphasis on defense self-reliance.
During the exercise, it will also be demonstrated how the respective communication systems of the three services are integrated, “e-Tarang” software tools, GIS-related systems, topographic maps, hydrographic maps and air navigation maps with analysis and operational planning capabilities.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
