New Delhi: The Army and the India Air Force have carried out a major exercise to firm up plans to operate in a hostile environment — with marked focus on how to quickly insert specialised forces during a possible conflict in the Arunachal Sector under the Eastern Command.
The exercise comes close on the heels of the 96-hour, multi-domain air and land exercise “Vayu Prahar” that was held in the eastern sector last month.
The recent exercise has been held at a time when the IAF and the US Air Force are together performing drills in the Eastern Command, which also included both carrying out airdrop missions.
As part of the ongoing #ExCopeIndia 23, @usairforce & #IAF aircraft flew airdrop missions to a Dropping Zone in the eastern sector.
Flying together, learning from each other. #DiplomatsInFlightSuits@PACAF pic.twitter.com/YF69vrpNvT
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) April 13, 2023
Sources in the defence establishment said the recent exercise was to validate joint plans for the strategic airlift of specialised forces, employing IAF’s fixed and rotary wing platforms. These personnel are to be landed or dropped in designated areas to provide heft to ongoing operations by regular land forces.
Such “Special Operations Exercises” are a mix of conventional and unconventional military action that are undertaken by specially designated, selected, trained and equipped units.
IAF transport aircraft C-17 Globemaster and the Chinook heavy-lift choppers, along with Mi-17s helicopters, undertook multi-mode insertion into designated greenfield-landing zones with surgical precision, sources said.
Paratroopers from the Shatrujeet Brigade conducted Special Heliborne operations with the aim of substantiating their ability to rapidly deploy into hostile environments, using the helicopters to augment the capability of the regular ground forces.
The exercise carried out in designated areas of the Eastern theatre, as per a tactical setting, showcased the operational preparedness and synergy of strategic forces. And that of the Eastern Command troops to undertake integrated multi-domain operations in high altitude and mountainous terrain, sources said.
They said there were two to three places within Arunachal Pradesh that saw specialised troops being inserted.
In December 2022, over 200 soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army clashed with Indian soldiers in the Yangtse area of Arunachal’s Tawang district.
India and China have been involved in a tense stand-off in the western sector of the LAC in eastern Ladakh, which has run into its third year. ThePrint has reported that after 17 rounds of talks at the corps-commander level, the stalemate over Depsang Plains continues.
China has this week objected to Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
India rejected China’s objections saying it did not stand to reason, and would not change reality.
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