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| India-Pakistan |
| War games near Indo-Pak border |
| 2008-03-03 |
| New Delhi, March 3: Troops from the Indian Army’s Southern Command are deploying to the desert in Rajasthan to test new land warfare doctrines woven around technology procured recently for the armed forces. Exercise Dakshin Shakti involving troops of a desert formation and a strike corps begins this week. It will culminate in a firepower demonstration christened Brazen Chariots on March 19. Indian Air Force fighter aircraft and helicopters will also be used for the war games. Dakshin Shakti is one of the largest war games to be conducted by the army in recent years. Although the Jodhpur-headquartered formation, also known as the 12 (Desert) Corps, will be at the centre of the drill, troop carriers and tanks from the Bhopal-based 21 Corps have also been pulled in. Army headquarters sources are not detailing the criteria for the drill. But it is clearly a test of speed and force for troops whose operational brief is to capture and hold on to enemy territory while keeping own supply lines intact. “Army formations will be exercised through the full spectrum of simulated operations in desert terrain,” an army statement said today. Although the troops have started “concentrating”, the actual war game will be spread over 10 days. Troops will be split into “red” (enemy) and “blue” (friendly) forces. The battle space will run parallel to the international boundary with Pakistan — so that the formations are not positioned in a manner that would present a threat — and every movement will be monitored on video screens by controllers with the help of newly acquired “network-centric” capabilities. “India has over the past few years acquired new and advanced capability in all spheres and undertaken a massive drive to modernise its armed forces,” the army statement said. “Exercise Dakshin Shakti will see the Southern Command of the army and the Southwestern Command of the IAF coming together to validate the land doctrine in a mechanised and network-centric environment. “The army would be testing and integrating its newly acquired weapon systems as well as its reconnaissance and surveillance systems.” The manoeuvres will include mechanised movement of infantry and artillery units with combat-support elements. Smaller exercises leading up to Dakshin Shakti had been held at the level of brigades and battalions. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #3 "This is what they are practicing... infliction of punishment on Pak armored formations, followed by rapid withdrawal." Anything we can do to help, John? ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-03-03 20:55 |
| #2 After the attack on the Indian parliament, the Indian Army mobilized for war. They even appointed martial law governors for the Pakistani cities they may have captured. What they found however was that their strike formations took too long to assemble. By the time everything was in place, the politicians had become preoccupied with other matters. The ISI had instigated an attack on Hindu pilgrims on a train and the resulting riots in Gujarat state diverted attention. Hence Cold Start... independent battlegroups that can strike hard and fast into Pakistan with little mobilization, while the blood is still hot. This is what they are practicing... infliction of punishment on Pak armored formations, followed by rapid withdrawal. |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-03-03 20:42 |
| #1 do the Indians really need too practice too fight the Pakis?I mean they can hardly put up a fight against a bunch of thugs in NWFP and south waziristan |
| Posted by: sinse 2008-03-03 19:21 |