For the first time, tri-services and the Defence Space Agency (DSA) will be demonstrating ‘live fire’ and ‘manoeuvre’ of indigenously made platforms and weapon systems in a war game in Pokhran, Rajasthan, on March 12, lending confidence to the defence industry’s capability at a time when India is pitching for exports of military equipment.

The display of integration of Made-in-India weapon systems in action by joint armed forces — Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy and Defence Space Agency — at the Bharat Shakti exercise will take place in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and chiefs of tri-services, in addition to the officers and troops, Defence Ministry sources said.

Besides, diplomats and defence attaches of friendly foreign countries posted here have also been invited for the exercise to give them a first-hand information and experience of the indigenous weapon systems inducted by the forces in the land, sear, air, and space domains. The move to get a foreign audience at the Bharat Shakti exercise is to send message that Indian military weapons and systems are of global standards, explained sources.

The Bharat Shakti exercise will witness complete utilisation of integrated platforms and weapon systems to the maximum effect in a war-like scenario, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict has demonstrated that countries which manufacture their own defence equipment can survive long drawn battles, sources in Army commented.

The exercise will also help the tri-services to fine-tune common combat strategy and utility of home-made military hardware and software in different combat situations. The equipment will also form part of the static display, also because of the absence of maritime zone needed for operation of the Indian Navy (IN). Still the IN will contribute to the war game by activating surveillance for surface radar and making public autonomous weaponised boat swarm, among other capabilities.

The IAF will be using the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile (dummy) fitted on LCA Tejas aircraft, Akash missile systems, Guarav long-range glide bomb to counter unmanned aerial system. Light Combat Helicopter and Advanced Light Helicopter with full payload of weapons, and trainer aircraft HTT-40 — all produced by the navratna PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is capable of pounding enemy installations in the desert close to Pakistan.

Likewise, the Indian Army’s inventory will include combat vehicles and systems starting from conventional T-90 (IM) tanks, light bullet proof vehicles, Invar missiles, bridge laying tank, software defined radio and remote control weapon system, said Ministry sources. Coordinating and commanding the troops engaged in the battle will be through communication systems such as tactical local area network radio, mobile secure satellite terminal and Man Portable Ku Band Terminal.

Artillery guns

The lethality of artillery guns like Pinaka, Dhanush, Sharang and mounted gun systems will also be demonstrated with upgraded L-70, Akash weapon system and Manoeuverable Expendable Aerial Targeting Systems providing air defence against the enemy’s attempts to target vital systems.

It is learnt that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an Integrated Drone Detection and Interdiction System, Mark 1, which was inducted into the Army recently, will also be deployed at the exercise given its potential to engage and neutralise 100 UAVs at a time through direct energy. It has ability to detect UAVs at a distance of 8 km, track when its 4 km away and kill 800 meters away, said sources.

The armoury of the forces at the exercise have been manufactured by the DRDO, defence PSUs, and private big industry, MSMEs and start-ups. Other than that the Indian Army’s special forces, IAF’s Garuds and Indian Navy’s Marcos commandos will undertake joint operations to show their training for accomplishing rare results in extreme war-like situations.

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