History Indian Army

1 history

1.1 british indian army

1.1.1 world wars
1.1.2 independence


1.2 conflicts , operations

1.2.1 first kashmir war (1947)
1.2.2 annexation of hyderabad (1948)
1.2.3 medical assistance during korean war (1950–1953)
1.2.4 annexation of goa, daman , diu (1961)
1.2.5 sino-indian war (1962)
1.2.6 indo-pakistani war of 1965
1.2.7 1967 sino-indian conflict
1.2.8 operation against naxalites during 1971
1.2.9 bangladesh liberation war of 1971
1.2.10 siachen conflict (1984)
1.2.11 counter-insurgency activities
1.2.12 kargil war (1999)
1.2.13 united nations peacekeeping missions


1.3 major exercises

1.3.1 operation brasstacks
1.3.2 exercise ashwamedha
1.3.3 yudh abhyas
1.3.4 exercise shakti
1.3.5 exercise shoorveer
1.3.6 exercise rudra akrosh
1.3.7 exercise nomadic elephant
1.3.8 exercise shatrujeet

history





british indian army



no. 4 (hazara) mountain battery rml7 pounder steel gun mountain gun in review order. left right naick, havaldar, subadar (sikhs) , gunner (punjabi musalman) circa 1895.

a military department created within government of east india company @ kolkata in year 1776. main function sift , record orders relating army issued various departments of east india company territories under control.

with charter act of 1833, secretariat of government of east india company reorganised 4 departments, including military department. army in presidencies of bengal, bombay , madras functioned respective presidency armies until 1 april 1895 when unified single indian army. administrative convenience, divided 4 commands @ point, namely punjab (including north west frontier), bengal, madras (including burma) , bombay (including sind, quetta , aden).

the british indian army critical force primacy of british empire both in india , across world. besides maintaining internal security of british raj, army fought in many other theatres: anglo-burmese wars, first , second anglo-sikh wars, first, second , third anglo-afghan wars, first , second opium wars in china, abyssinia, , boxer rebellion in china.

world wars


french postcard depicting arrival of 15th sikh regiment in france during world war i. postcard reads, gentlemen of india marching chasten german hooligans.



a sikh soldier of 4th division (the red eagles) of indian army, attached british fifth army in italy. holding captured swastika after surrender of german forces in italy, may 1945. behind him, fascist inscriptions says viva il duce , long live duce (i.e. mussolini).

in 20th century, indian army crucial adjunct british forces in both world wars. 1.3 million indian soldiers served in world war (1914–1918) allies, in 74,187 indian troops killed or missing in action. in 1915 there mutiny indian soldiers in singapore. united kingdom made promises of self-governance indian national congress in return support reneged on them after war, following indian independence movement gained strength.

the indianisation of british indian army began formation of prince of wales royal indian military college @ dehradun in march 1912 purpose of providing education scions of aristocratic , well-to-do indian families, , prepare selected indian boys admission royal military college, sandhurst. indian officers given king s commission after passing out , posted 1 of 8 units selected indianisation. because of slow pace of indianisation, 69 officers being commissioned between 1918 , 1932, political pressure applied leading formation of indian military academy in 1932 , greater numbers of officers of indian origin being commissioned.

in world war ii indian soldiers fought allies. in 1939, british officials had no plan expansion , training of indian forces, comprised 130,000 men (in addition there 44,000 men in british units in india in 1939). mission internal security , defence against possible soviet threat through afghanistan. war progressed, size , role of indian army expanded dramatically, , troops sent battlefronts possible. serious problem lack of equipment. indian units served in burma, in 1944–45, 5 indian divisions engaged along 1 british , 3 african divisions. larger numbers operated in middle east. 87,000 indian soldiers died in war. end of war had become largest volunteer army in history, rising on 2.5 million men in august 1945.

in african , middle-eastern campaigns, captured indian troops given choice join german army liberate india great britain instead of being sent pow camps. these men, along indian students in germany when war broke out, made called free india legion. intended pathfinders german forces in asia, sent guard atlantic wall. few part of free india legion ever saw combat, , few ever stationed outside europe. @ height free india legion had on 3,000 troops in ranks.

indian pows joined indian national army allied empire of japan. raised former colonel of british indian army (gen) mohan singh, later led netaji subhas chandra bose , rash bihari bose. fall of singapore in 1942, 40,000 indian soldiers captured. given choice , on 30,000 joined indian national army. refused became pows , shipped new guinea. after initial success defeated along japanese, had huge impact on indian independence movement. similar organisations formed in germany , japan. in 1946 indian sailors revolted against british in 1946 british indian navy mutiny.

independence

upon independence , subsequent partition of india in 1947, 4 of ten gurkha regiments transferred british army. rest of british indian army divided between newly created nations of india , pakistan. punjab boundary force, had been formed police punjab during partition period, disbanded, , headquarters delhi , east punjab command formed administer area. army day celebrated on 15 january every year in india, in recognition of lieutenant general k. m. cariappa s taking on first commander-in-chief of indian army general sir francis butcher, last british commander-in-chief of india, on 15 january 1949.

conflicts , operations

first kashmir war (1947)

immediately after independence, tensions between india , pakistan began boil over, , first of 3 full-scale wars between 2 nations broke out on princely state of kashmir. maharaja of kashmir wanted have standstill position. since kashmir muslim majority state, pakistan wanted make kashmir pakistani territory. result, pakistan invaded kashmir on 22 october 1947, causing maharaja hari singh india, lord mountbatten of burma, governor general, help. signed instrument of accession india on 26 october 1947. indian troops airlifted srinagar 27 october dawn onwards. contingent included general thimayya distinguished himself in operation , in years followed became chief of indian army. intense war waged across state , former comrades found fighting each other. pakistan suffered significant losses. forces stopped on line formed called loc (line of control). uneasy un sponsored peace returned end of 1948 indian , pakistani soldiers facing each other directly on line of control, has since divided indian-held kashmir pakistan-held kashmir. number of un resolutions (38–47) passed calling plebiscite held in kashmir determine accession india or pakistan after pakistan withdrew army kashmir. precondition resolution pakistan , india return state of prior conflict. pakistan withdraw tribesmen , pakistani nationals brought in fight in kashmir. pakistan refusing pull there no further dialogue on fulfilling un resolution. tensions between india , pakistan, largely on kashmir, have never been entirely eliminated.

annexation of hyderabad (1948)

major general el edroos (at right) offers surrender of hyderabad state forces major general (later army chief) j.n. chaudhuri @ secunderabad

after partition of india, state of hyderabad, princely state under rule of nizam, chose remain independent. nizam, refused accede state union of india. following stand-off between government of india , nizam ended on 12 september 1948 when india s deputy prime minister sardar vallabhbhai patel ordered indian troops secure state. during 5 days of fighting, indian army, backed indian air force squadron of hawker tempest aircraft, routed hyderabad state forces. 5 indian army infantry battalions , 1 armoured squadron engaged in operation. following day, state of hyderabad proclaimed part of union of india. major general joyanto nath chaudhuri, led operation polo , accepted surrender of nizam s forces on 18 september 1948, appointed military governor of hyderabad (1948–1949) restore law , order.

medical assistance during korean war (1950–1953)

during korean war, india sent 60th indian (parachute) field ambulance unit aid un troops fighting against chinese , north korean invasion of south korea, though decided against sending combat forces. 60th pfa included in 1st commonwealth division. in aftermath of war, indian infantry brigade formed custodian force of india of soldiers sent korea part of neutral nations repatriation committee assist in exchange of prisoners of war. nnrc commanded lt gen ks thimayya.

annexation of goa, daman , diu (1961)

even though british , french vacated colonial possessions in indian subcontinent, portugal refused relinquish control of indian colonies of goa, daman , diu. after repeated attempts india negotiate portugal territory spurned portuguese prime minister , dictator, antónio de oliveira salazar, india launched operation vijay on 12 december 1961 take goa portuguese. small contingent of troops entered goa, daman, , diu capture , secure territory. after brief conflict, in 31 portuguese soldiers killed, portuguese navy frigate nrp afonso de albuquerque destroyed, , on 3,000 portuguese captured, portuguese general manuel antónio vassalo e silva surrendered maj gen kp candeth (kunhiraman palat kandoth) of indian army, after twenty-six hours. goa, daman , diu became part of republic of india.

sino-indian war (1962)

the cause of war dispute on sovereignty of separated aksai chin , arunachal pradesh border regions. aksai chin, claimed india belong kashmir, , china part of xinjiang, contains important road link connects chinese regions of tibet , xinjiang. china s construction of road 1 of triggers of conflict.

small-scale clashes between indian , chinese forces broke out india insisted on disputed mcmahon line being regarded international border between 2 countries. chinese troops claimed not have retaliated cross-border firing indian troops, despite sustaining losses. china s suspicion of india s involvement in tibet created more rifts between 2 countries.

in 1962, indian army ordered move thag la ridge located near border between bhutan , arunachal pradesh , 3 miles (5 km) north of disputed mcmahon line. meanwhile, chinese troops had made incursions indian-held territory, , tensions between 2 reached new high when indian forces discovered road constructed china in aksai chin. after series of failed negotiations, people s liberation army attacked indian army positions @ thag la ridge. move china caught india surprise , 12 october, nehru gave orders chinese expelled aksai chin. however, poor co-ordination among various divisions of indian army, , late decision mobilise indian air force in vast numbers, gave china crucial tactical , strategic advantage on india. on 20 october, chinese soldiers attacked india in both north-west , north-eastern parts of border , captured vast portions of aksai chin , arunachal pradesh.

as fighting moved beyond disputed territories, china called on indian government negotiate, india remained determined regain lost territory. no peaceful agreement in sight, china unilaterally withdrew forces arunachal pradesh. reasons withdrawal disputed india claiming various logistical problems china , diplomatic support united states, while china stated still held territory had staked diplomatic claim over. dividing line between indian , chinese forces named line of actual control.

the poor decisions made india s military commanders and, political leadership, raised several questions. henderson-brooks & bhagat committee set government of india determine causes of poor performance of indian army. report criticised decision not allow indian air force target chinese transport lines out of fear of chinese aerial counter-attack on indian civilian areas. of blame targeted @ incompetence of then-defence minister, krishna menon resigned post after war ended. despite frequent calls release, henderson-brooks report still remains classified. neville maxwell has written account of war.

indo-pakistani war of 1965

a second confrontation pakistan took place in 1965. although war described inconclusive, india had better of war , clear winner in tactical , strategic terms. pakistani president ayub khan launched operation gibraltar in august 1965, during several pakistani paramilitary troops infiltrated indian-administered kashmir , attempt ignite anti-india agitation in jammu , kashmir. pakistani leaders believed india, still recovering disastrous sino-indian war, unable deal military thrust , kashmiri rebellion. india reacted swiftly , launched counter offensive on pakistan. pakistan launched operation grand slam in reply on 1 september, invading india s chamb-jaurian sector. in retaliation, indian army launched major offensive throughout border pakistan, lahore prime target.

the indian army captured police station in lahore, pakistan after winning battle of burki in 1965 war. left them after signing of tashkent declaration.

initially, indian army met considerable success in northern sector. after launching prolonged artillery barrages against pakistan, india able capture 3 important mountain positions in kashmir. 9 september, indian army had made considerable in-roads pakistan. india had largest haul of pakistani tanks when offensive of pakistan s 1st armoured division blunted @ battle of asal uttar, took place on 10 september near khemkaran. biggest tank battle of war came in form of battle of chawinda, largest tank battle in history after world war ii. pakistan s defeat @ battle of asal uttar hastened end of conflict.

at time of ceasefire declaration, india reported casualties of 3,000 killed. on other hand, estimated more 4,000 pakistani soldiers killed in battle. 471 pakistani tanks either destroyed or captured india. india lost total of 128 tanks during conflict. decision return pre-war positions, following tashkent declaration, caused outcry among polity in new delhi. believed india s decision accept ceasefire due political factors, , not military, since facing considerable pressure united states , un stop hostilities.

1967 sino-indian conflict

the 1967 sino-indian skirmish, known cho la incident, military conflict between indian troops , members of chinese people s liberation army had infiltrated on 1 october 1967 in sikkim, protectorate of india. on 10 october, both sides clashed again. defence minister sardar swaran singh assured indian people government taking care of developments along border. in aftermath of conflict indian losses 88 killed, , 163 wounded, while chinese casualties 300 killed , 450 wounded in nathula, , 40 in chola. chinese army left sikkim after being defeated indian troops.

operation against naxalites during 1971

under supervision of indira gandhi during president s rule in 1971, indian army , indian police launched operation steeplechase, gigantic counter-insurgency operation against naxalites, resulted in death of hundreds of naxalites , imprisonment of more 20,000 suspects , cadres including senior leaders. army assisted brigade of para commandos , indian paramilitary. operation organised in october 1969, , lieutenant general j.f.r. jacob enjoined govind narain, home secretary of india, there should no publicity , no records , jacob s request presented written orders repudiated sam manekshaw.

bangladesh liberation war of 1971



pakistan s lt. gen. a. a. k. niazi signing instrument of surrender in dhaka on 16 dec 1971, in presence of india s lt. gen. aurora. standing behind them officers of india s army, navy , air force.

an independence movement broke out in east pakistan crushed pakistani forces. due large-scale atrocities against them, thousands of bengalis took refuge in neighbouring india causing major refugee crisis there. in 1971, india declared full-support bengali rebels, known mukti bahini, , indian agents extensively involved in covert operations aid them.

on 20 november 1971, indian army moved 14 punjab battalion 45 cavalry garibpur, strategically important town near india s border east pakistan, , captured it. following day, more clashes took place between indian , pakistani forces. wary of india s growing involvement in bengali rebellion, pakistan air force (paf) launched preemptive strike on 10 indian air bases at: srinagar, jammu, pathankot, amritsar, agra, adampur, jodhpur, jaisalmer, uttarlai , sirsa @ 17:45 hours on 3 december. however, aerial offensive failed accomplish stated objectives, , gave india excuse declare full-scale war against pakistan same day. midnight, indian army, accompanied indian air force, launched major three-pronged assault east pakistan. indian army won several battles on eastern front including decisive battle of hilli, front pakistani army able build considerable resistance. operation included battalion-level airborne operation on tangail, resulted in capitulation of resistance within 5 days. india s massive gains attributed largely speed , flexibility indian armoured divisions moved across east pakistan.

indian army personnel celebrate victory @ end battle of basantar on top of knocked out pakistani patton tank.

pakistan launched counter-attack against india on western front. on 4 december 1971, company of 23rd battalion of india s punjab regiment detected , intercepted movement of 51st infantry brigade of pakistani army near ramgarh, rajasthan. battle of longewala ensued during company, though being outnumbered, thwarted pakistani advance until indian air force directed fighters engage pakistani tanks. time battle had ended, 38 pakistani tanks , 100 armoured vehicles either destroyed or abandoned. 200 pakistani troops killed in action during battle while 2 indian soldiers lost lives. pakistan suffered major defeat on western front during battle of basantar fought 4 december 16th. end of battle, 66 pakistani tanks destroyed , 40 more captured. in return, pakistani forces able destroy 11 indian tanks. none of many pakistani offensives on western front materialised. 16 december, pakistan had lost sizeable territory on both eastern , western fronts.

under command of lt. general j.s. arora, 3 corps of indian army, had invaded east pakistan, entered dhaka , forced pakistani forces surrender on 16 december 1971, 1 day after conclusion of battle of basantar. after pakistan s lt general a k niazi signed instrument of surrender, india took more 90,000 pakistani prisoners of war. time of signing, 11,000 pakistani soldiers killed-in-action while india suffered 3,500 battle-related deaths. in addition, pakistan lost 220 tanks during battle compared india s 69.

in 1972, simla agreement signed between 2 countries , tensions simmered. however, there occasional spurts in diplomatic tensions culminated in increased military vigilance on both sides.

siachen conflict (1984)


a memorial @ headquarters of dogra regiment of indian army in remembrance of members of regiment died or served in siachen conflict

the siachen glacier, though part of kashmir region, not officially demarcated on maps prepared , exchanged between 2 sides in 1947. consequence, prior 1980s, neither india nor pakistan maintained permanent military presence in region. however, pakistan began conducting , allowing series of mountaineering expeditions glacier beginning in 1950s. 1980s, government of pakistan granting special expedition permits mountaineers , united states army maps deliberately showed siachen part of pakistan. practice gave rise contemporary meaning of term oropolitics.

india, possibly irked these developments, launched operation meghdoot in april 1984. entire battalion of kumaon regiment airlifted glacier. pakistani forces responded , clashes between 2 followed. indian army secured strategic sia la , bilafond la mountain passes, , 1985 more 1,000 square miles (2,600 km) of territory claimed pakistan under indian control. indian army continues control siachen glacier , tributary glaciers. pakistan made several unsuccessful attempts regain control on siachen. in late 1987, pakistan mobilised 8,000 troops , garrisoned them near khapalu, aiming capture bilafond la. however, repulsed indian army personnel guarding bilafond. during battle, 23 indian soldiers lost lives, while more 150 pakistani troops perished. further unsuccessful attempts reclaim positions launched pakistan in 1990, 1995, 1996 , 1999, notably in kargil year.

india continues maintain strong military presence in region, despite extremely inhospitable conditions. conflict on siachen regularly cited example of mountain warfare. highest peak in siachen glacier region, saltoro kangri, viewed strategically important india because of immense altitude enable indian forces monitor pakistani or chinese movements in immediate area. maintaining control on siachen poses several logistical challenges indian army. several infrastructure projects constructed in region, including helipad @ 21,000 feet (6,400 m) above sea level. in 2004, indian army spending estimated us$2 million month support personnel stationed in region.

counter-insurgency activities

the indian army has played crucial role in past, fighting insurgents , terrorists within nation. army launched operation blue star , operation woodrose in 1980s combat sikh insurgents. army, along paramilitary forces, has prime responsibility of maintaining law , order in troubled jammu , kashmir region, led northern command. indian army sent contingent sri lanka in 1987 part of indian peace keeping force. allied work of northern command , peace time activities north tech symposium , annual event, aim of providing viable platform knowledge diffusion on relevant, contemporary military technologies available commercial off shelf (cots) worldwide. indian army conducted operation golden bird in 1995 counter-insurgency in northeast india.

kargil war (1999)

in 1998, india carried out nuclear tests , few days later, pakistan responded more nuclear tests giving both countries nuclear deterrence capability, although india had tested 1 hydrogen bomb pakistan lacked. diplomatic tensions eased after lahore summit held in 1999. however, sense of optimism short-lived since in mid-1999 pakistani paramilitary forces , kashmiri insurgents captured deserted, strategic, himalayan heights in kargil district of india. these had been vacated indian army during onset of inhospitable winter , supposed reoccupied in spring. regular pakistani troops took control of these areas received important support, both in form of arms , supplies, pakistan. of heights under control, included tiger hill, overlooked vital srinagar-leh highway (nh 1a), batalik , dras.

once scale of pakistani incursion realised, indian army mobilised 200,000 troops , operation vijay launched. however, since heights under pakistani control, india @ clear strategic disadvantage. observation posts, pakistani forces had clear line-of-sight lay down indirect artillery fire on nh 1a, inflicting heavy casualties on indians. serious problem indian army highway main logistical , supply route. thus, indian army s first priority recapture peaks in immediate vicinity of nh 1a. resulted in indian troops first targeting tiger hill , tololing complex in dras. followed more attacks on batalik-turtok sub-sector provided access siachen glacier. point 4590, had nearest view of nh 1a, recaptured indian forces on 14 june.

indian soldiers after winning battle during kargil war

though of posts in vicinity of highway cleared mid-june, parts of near drass witnessed sporadic shelling until end of war. once nh 1a area cleared, indian army turned driving invading force across line of control. battle of tololing, among other assaults, tilted combat in india s favour. nevertheless, posts put stiff resistance, including tiger hill (point 5140) fell later in war. operation under way, 250 artillery guns brought in clear infiltrators in posts in line-of-sight. @ many vital points, neither artillery nor air power dislodge outposts manned pakistan soldiers, out of visible range. indian army mounted direct frontal ground assaults slow , took heavy toll given steep ascent had made on peaks high 18,000 feet (5,500 m). 2 months conflict, indian troops had retaken of ridges had lost; according official count, estimated 75%–80% of intruded area, , high ground, under indian control.

following washington accord on 4 july, sharif agreed withdraw pakistani troops, of fighting came gradual halt, pakistani forces remained in positions on indian side of loc. in addition, united jihad council (an umbrella extremist groups) rejected pakistan s plan climb-down, instead deciding fight on. indian army launched final attacks in last week of july; drass sub-sector had been cleared of pakistani forces, fighting ceased on 26 july. day has since been marked kargil vijay diwas (kargil victory day) in india. end of war, india had resumed control of territory south , east of line of control, established in july 1972 per shimla accord. time hostilities had ended, number of indian soldiers killed during conflict stood @ 527, while more 700 regular members of pakistani army killed. number of islamist fighters, known mujahideen, killed indian armed forces during conflict stood @ 3,000.

united nations peacekeeping missions

an indian army officer local @ un mission in congo, 2013

india has been largest troop contributor un missions since inception. far india has taken part in 43 peacekeeping missions total contribution exceeding 160,000 troops , significant number of police personnel having been deployed. in 2014 india third largest troop contributor [tcc] 7,860 personnel deployed ten un peacekeeping missions of 995 police personnel, including first female formed police unit under un. indian army has undertaken numerous un peacekeeping missions. of 30 june 2014, 157 indians have been killed during such operations. indian army has provided paramedical units facilitate withdrawal of sick , wounded.

major exercises

operation brasstacks

operation brasstacks launched indian army in november 1986 simulate full-scale war on western border. exercise largest ever conducted in india , comprised 9 infantry, 3 mechanised, 3 armoured , 1 air assault division, , included 3 independent armoured brigades. amphibious assault exercises conducted indian navy. brasstacks allegedly incorporated nuclear attack drills. led tensions pakistan , subsequent rapprochement in mid-1987.

exercise ashwamedha

indian army tested network centric warfare capabilities in exercise ashwamedha. exercise held in thar desert, in on 300,000 troops participated. asymmetric warfare capability tested indian army during exercise.

yudh abhyas



yudh abhyas 2012 – , indian army military exercise trailer.

exercise yudh abhyas part of ongoing series of joint exercises between indian , united states armies since 2005, agreed upon under new framework of india-us defence relationship. commencing @ platoon level, exercise has graduated command post (cpx) , field training exercise (ftx).

the seventh edition of yudh abhyas underway since 5 march 2012 in 2 locations under south western command. army contingent army pacific (usarpac), part of united states pacific command (uspacom). command post exercise has engineer brigade headquarters planners both sides, while field training exercise comprises troops of 2nd squadron 14th cavalry regiment 25th infantry division, hawaii, along platoon of strykers, , similar sized indian army contingent of mechanised infantry. event more interesting number of key surveillance, communications , improvised explosive devices detection , neutralisation technologies, available both sides have been fielded in exercise.

u.s army soldiers familiarise latest insas 1b1 during exercise yudh abhyas 2015



indian army infantry vehicles during yudh abhyas exercises

an indian-born army linguist , translator assigned john f. kennedy special warfare center , school, explains weapons-range safety procedures indian army soldiers 99th mountain brigade before fire american machine guns 4 may 2013, @ fort bragg, n.c. part of yudh abhyas 2013, latest annual training event between armies of india , united states, sponsored army pacific.

the eighth edition of yudh abhyas conducted indian army s 99th mountain brigade , 1st bde. combat team, 82nd airborne division @ fort bragg, n.c. other units represented 3rd squadron, 73rd cavalry regiment, forces, , india, 2nd battalion, 5th gurka rifles; 50th independent para bde.; , 54th engineers regt. u.s. army-pacific sponsored bilateral training exercise indian army, 3–17 may 2013, focused on 2 countries cultures, weapons training , tactics.

exercise shakti

exercise shakti ongoing series of joint exercises between indian , french armies since 2011. exercise shakti conducted practice , validate anti-terrorist operations , drills in snowbound , mountainous areas. second joint military exercise between 2 countries held in september 2013 first 1 being held in india in october 2011. theme of exercise conduct platoon level joint counter insurgency operations in high altitude mountainous terrain under un charter, emphasising shared concerns of both countries global terrorism. added aim of exercise qualitatively enhance knowledge of each other s military procedures increasing scope interoperability , better responsiveness common threat. twelve-day exercise french army scheduled conducted in multiple modules in order achieve complete integration between 2 contingents @ every stage.

exercise shoorveer

on first week of april 2012 indian army launched massive summer exercise in rajasthan desert involving on 50,000 troops , several hundred artillery guns , infantry combat vehicles part of efforts shore battle worthiness on western front pakistan. exercise, code-named shoorveer , being conducted jaipur-based south western command , ended in first week of may. largest ever exercise conducted indian army since 1947. collective training started honing of basic battle procedures , tactical drills @ tactical level.

a number of field firings carried out check accuracy , lethality of weapon systems. large number of innovations , modifications carried out units , formations enhance combat power tested in field. troops built on training momentum gradually, increased combat tempo set stage major joint army-air force exercise in later part of exercise.

exercise rudra akrosh

in may 2012 indian army started testing preparedness level of units , validate new age technology, battle concepts, organizational structures , networked operations. western army command conducted summer training exercises in punjab , jammu , kashmir. code named exercise rudra akrosh, war games aimed @ validating operational , transformational effectiveness of various formations under western army command. exercise entered culmination phase witnessed western army commander lt general s r ghosh. included various summer training manoeuvres approximately 20,000 troops tested battle skills state-of-the-art weapons systems in complete integration fighter , transport aircraft provided indian air force. besides interacting soldiers , officers co-ordinating war games, lt gen ghosh witnessed various battle manoeuvres infantry troops, mechanised infantry, tanks, artillery, heli-borne troops , surveillance equipment. unmanned aerial vehicles (uavs) , attack helicopters co-opted in operational scenario. recently, jaipur-based south western command—also known sapta shakti command—conducted summer war games more 50,000 troops, latest weaponry , air assets.

exercise nomadic elephant

the indian army has been conducting training exercises mongolian army. first exercise took place in 2004, , these exercises have since been taking place every year. in 2012, exercise took place in belgaum, , in june 2013, held in mongolia. aim of exercises enhance counter insurgency , counter terrorism operations, , conduct peacekeeping operations under mandate of united nation.

exercise shatrujeet

in april 2016, indian army conducted major exercise called shatrujeet elite mathura-based strike corps in desert area of mahajan field firing range in rajasthan. capability strike deep enemy territory in integrated air-land battle environment evaluated. focus of exercise achieve co-ordination among forces in nuclear, biological, chemical warfare scenario deliver quick, lethal strike against enemy. operationally-oriented exercise focused on validating integrated theatre battle fighting concepts incorporating new age technologies, weapons platforms , systems, long-range precision targeting vectors. exercise in last phase , on 22 april, army chief d s suhag expected review exercise.