Sanjha Morcha

Western Command tests offensive concepts amidst Ladakh stand-off, Covid crisis Various units of Ambala-based Kharga Corps carry out field drill

Western Command tests offensive concepts amidst Ladakh stand-off, Covid crisis

Tactical air support, heli-borne operations and sub-conventional warfare also feature in such exercise.

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 6

Amidst a volatile security atmosphere in the sub-continent, the Army’s Western Command conducted and integrated training exercise involving all arms to fine tune its battle drills in line with its operational role along the western front.

Various units of the Ambala-based Kharga Corps, the Army’s most potent strike formation, carried out the field drill over the past few days as part of its winter training cycle.

The exercise took place even as a large number of troops, including armoured, artillery and engineer elements, continue to maintain eye-ball confrontation with the Chinese along the Line of Actual Control in the northern sector in a stand-off that has been continuing for the past about nine months. Some units from the western theatre were also moved up to eastern Ladakh.e exercise is aimed at validating evolving military concepts and offensive manoeuvres meant to inflict a swift punitive blow to the adversary while operating in a networked and informationalised domain. Tactical air support, heli-borne operations and sub-conventional warfare also feature in such exercise.

This year certain protocols enforced to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic also cast a shadow on the exercise, requiring a review and modification of standard operating procedures and drills dealing with operational, administrative and logistical aspects. Extra medical and health precautions were undertaken for the conduct of exercise, with special provisions being made for sanitization of equipment and accommodation.