Armed forces conduct massive integrated exercise in Arunachal | India News

NEW DELHI: India-China diplomatic talks may now be taking a slightly “positive” trajectory but the armed forces continue to hone their high-altitude combat skills through intensive exercises, while the Army is raising a new infantry division of around 15,000 soldiers as part of its continuing rejig of forces and firepower for the northern borders.
‘Prachand Prahar (fierce attack)’ is the telling name of the latest integrated tri-Service multi-domain warfare exercise conducted ‘deep’ in the high-altitude terrain of Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern sector of the 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control (LAC) over the last three days.
“The exercise involved Army, IAF and the other combat elements in a synergised combat drill designed to simulate future warfare. It reinforces India’s resolve to deter and, if necessary, decisively respond to any emerging security challenge along its strategic frontiers,” a senior officer said.
Towards the western sector of the LAC, which stretches from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, the headquarters of the new 72 Infantry Division is coming up at Pathankot under the Udhampur-based Northern Command. “There will be no fresh accretion of troops for the 72 Division. It’s part of the Army’s restructuring and reorganization plan that has been underway for some years,” a source told TOI.
The new division is likely to eventually replace the “Uniform Force” of the Army’s specialized counter-insurgency Rashtriya Rifles (RR) that was rushed to eastern Ladakh after the multiple incursions by Chinese troops there in April 2020.
In addition to the Panagarh-based 17 Mountain Strike Corps for the eastern sector, the Mathura-based 1 Strike Corps (each corps has 70,000-80,000 soldiers) was earlier also “rebalanced” to the LAC from its previous role on the western front with Pakistan, as was reported by TOI.
There are as yet no signs of de-escalation and de-induction of troops along the LAC after disengagement at the two remaining face-off sites at Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh last Oct, which has led to restoration of patrolling by the rival soldiers and grazing by herders as well as reduced the risk of any inadvertent escalation.
China has continued to strengthen its military positions and infrastructure build-up all along the LAC, with PLA troops continuing to be forward deployed with heavy weapon systems in large numbers.
India, too, has maintained “mirror deployments”. In Arunachal, areas like Yangtse — where the rival troops had clashed in Dec 2022 — Asaphila and Subansiri river valley remain major flashpoints.
During Prachand Prahar, long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, armed helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), loitering munitions, and space-based assets were employed to achieve total situational awareness and rapid target engagement.
“Once simulated targets were identified, they were swiftly neutralised through coordinated strikes using fighter aircraft, long-range Pinaka rocket systems, medium artillery guns, swarm drones, kamikaze drones, and armed helicopters — all executed in an electronically contested environment that simulated modern battlefield conditions,” another officer said.
This integrated tri-service exercise builds on the momentum of the `Poorvi Prahar’ exercise last Nov, which focused primarily on the integrated application of aviation assets. “Prachand Prahaar has now taken that concept further by validating a fully integrated approach to surveillance, command and control, and precision firepower across the three Services,” he said.