Major 'integrated' military exercise underway along western front to hone combat skills - Times of India

NEW DELHI: With integrated theatre commands on the anvil in the country, the Army is conducting a major combat exercise with other forces along the western border in Gujarat and Rajasthan to test new concepts and doctrines for wars of the future.

The theatre-level "Dakshin Shakti" exercise, which includes over 30,000 troops from the Army, Navy, IAF, Coast Guard, BSF and intelligence agencies, has led to the "activation of the entire desert, Rann and Creek sectors". The stress during the combat manoeuvres is on the use of new weapon systems and technologies with an "integrated approach" to war-fighting.
"It's the largest exercise since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. It's designed to validate new concepts and doctrines for integration of the armed forces and border guarding forces in the backdrop of the impending theaterisation process," a senior officer said on Tuesday.
"This is the first time that an effective punch of a field training exercise has been packed in the response mechanism which functions under a robust Central Operation Room (COR) comprising troops of multiple forces and geared towards protection of the Kutch Peninsula," he added.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh will review the exercise at Jaisalmer on November 26. As part of the overarching "Dakshin Shakti", a multi-agency drill "Sagar Shakti" was conducted in the Creek sector of the Kutch Peninsula from November 19 to 22, which also saw the participation of the Gujarat state police, marine police and fisheries department.
"The exercise involved insertion of troops and manoeuvres by multiple forces in all three dimensions in an integrated manner. Comprehensive coordination incorporating contemporary technologies in a multi-domain environment, real-time communication, and sharing of operational data to overcome emerging threats were practiced and honed amongst the participants," said another officer.