Pokhran: The Army’s Pokhran range in Rajasthan bore witness to the live tri-services fire and manoeuvre exercise ‘Bharat Shakti’ on 12 March.
A synergised demonstration of indigenous defence capabilities, the exercise lasted for nearly 50 minutes with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and delegates of at least 30 countries in attendance.
Besides an array on indigenous weapons systems and platforms, the exercise aimed at showcasing the integration of the three forces in areas including communications, training, interoperability and logistics.
Here, ThePrint puts together a list of indigenous weapons systems showcased during ‘Bharat Shakti’ exercise.
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T-90 tanks
The T-90 Bhishma is a third-generation Indian variant of the Russian T90S tank.
The Army operates more than 1,000 T-90 tanks. These are now manufactured in India under licence from the Russians. Equipped with powerful armament, advanced fire control systems as well as reliable armour protection, each tank weighs 46 tonnes.
Dhanush artillery guns
Dhanush is a 155 mm, 45-calibre towed howitzer manufactured by state-owned Advanced Weapons and Equipment India at the Gun Carriage Factory Jabalpur. It has a range of 36 km and is a modern update of the 155 mm, 39-calibre Bofors FH 77 gun. It was approved for service in 2019. The Army has placed an order for 114 Dhanush artillery guns, which have already been inducted for use by the Army’s Regiment of Artillery.
MBT Arjun
Developed by DRDO, the Main Battle Tank (MBT) Arjun is equipped with the indigenous Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS) ammunition and 120 mm calibre rifled gun. It has a top speed of 70 km per hour. Arjun entered service in 2004.
Akash missile system
The Akash is a mid-range surface-to-air missile system developed by DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). The Army and Air Force both operate this missile system which has built-in Electronic Counter-Counter Measures (ECCM) features and can simultaneously engage multiple targets in autonomous mode.
ALH Dhruv
The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv is an indigenously developed multi-role, multi-mission twin-engine aircraft built by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Designed in 1983, it is a utility helicopter used mainly for transport of personnel and material.
Its variants are classified as Dhruv Mk-I, Mk-II, Mk-III & Mk-IV.
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Pinaka rocket launcher
The Pinaka is a multi-barrel rocket launcher developed by the DRDO for the Army. It can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in about 44 seconds, with a maximum range of 40 km for the Mark-I and 120 km for the Mark-I enhanced version. The government had last December approved a proposal to procure around 6,400 rockets for the Pinaka rocket launchers.
Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Short Range
The Naval Anti-Ship Missile–Short Range (NASM-SR) is a helicopter launched anti-ship missile developed by the DRDO. It is the first indigenous air launched anti-ship cruise missile developed for the Navy.
LCA Tejas
Developed by HAL, the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is an Indian single engine, delta wing, light multirole fighter designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency in collaboration with HAL’s Aircraft Research and Design Centre for the Air Force and Navy.
The LCA was named Tejas in 2003.
K9 Vajra
The K9 Vajra is a 155 mm, 52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer built in India by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) with a transfer of technology from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defense. Capable of handling both Indian and NATO standard ammunition, it can fire shells at great elevation angles.
Integrated Drone Detection & Interdiction System
Also on display during ‘Bharat Shakti’ was the Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System Mark-I, developed jointly by the DRDO and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).
The Army has inducted seven of these systems in the recent past. An active and passive detection system for low radar cross section aerial targets along with hard kill and certain soft kill options, it is integrated through a suitable command and control system.
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Sharang Artillery Gun
The Sharang Artillery Gun is the first 130 mm M-46 artillery gun upgraded to 155mm for the Army. Developed by the Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL), it has a range of 36 km.
Swathi WLR
The Swathi Weapon Locating Radar (WLR) is a mobile artillery-locating, phased array radar developed by the DRDO. It is designed to detect and track incoming artillery and rocket fire for counter-battery fire. Further, it is capable of providing the location of enemy weapons like mortars, shells and rockets within a 50-km range.
BMP-II Sarath
The BMP-II is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. It forms the backbone of India’s Mechanised Infantry and is manufactured by the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) under licence from Russia.
Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle
The QRFV (Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicle) were inducted into the Army to help boost troops’ combat potential in all-weather and all-terrain conditions. They offer better manoeuvrability in high altitudes.
Modular bridge
The Army showcased its bridging capacity with the display of the 46-metre modular bridge developed by DRDO and manufactured by L&T.
Canister Launched Anti Armour Loiter Munition
The Canister Launched Anti-Armour Loiter Ammunition (CALM) system consists of a pre-loaded canister with loiter ammunition or a drone. It is operated by the Army’s mechanised forces and is intended for use against adversaries’ tanks and other targets.
NAMIS
Developed by DRDO, the NAG Missile System (NAMIS) is a fire & forget anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) fired using a tracked armoured fighting vehicle.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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