The Hindu : National : Foreign observers to witness war-game

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 17, 2006

National

National

Foreign observers to witness war-game

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Defence attaches from several countries will witness one of the largest Army exercises in recent times to test its new war doctrine of launching swift attacks.

As many as 20,000 troops will enact the war-game codenamed "Sanghe Shakti" in the plains of Punjab, being conducted by one of the Army's three offensive formations, the Ambala-headquartered 2 Corps.

Significantly, the 2 Corps contains almost half of the country's strike capabilities comprising the latest Russian-origin T-90 tanks, artillery guns and backed by fighter aircraft and helicopters from the Air Force. The task allocated to this corps in the event of a war with Pakistan is to conduct a rapid strike into the country to "find, fix, fight and finish" the enemy's combat capability.

The troops had been practising in Rajasthan for short duration battles of high tempo and intensity at short notice. In the war-game, they are expected to display their prowess in not only conventional attacks but also under the threat of nuclear-chemical-biological warfare.

The Army and the IAF will field several high technology combat equipment in the exercise. It will be carried out in a networked environment to enable the focussed application of firepower.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail