The Army’s offensive strike force of over 20,000 troopers and 200 battle tanks has validated key manoeuvres in joint warfare, along with the Air Force’s support elements, including attack helicopters, and cargo transport, in the deserts of Rajasthan.
Focusing on warfare against Pakistan, the month-long summer exercise, codenamed ‘Sarvada Vijay’ (Always Victorious), was carried out by the Mathura-based 1 Strike Corps, with support from the Air Force’s Mi-25/35 attack helicopters and Army’s own Aviation Corps’ Dhruv and Cheetah/Chetak helicopters.
On Sunday, Jaipur-based South Western Army Commander Lt Gen Arun Kumar Sahni had reviewed the war gaming in the border district of Hamumangarh.
He was briefed by the Strike Corps on the exercise and the preparations, apart from the success of the doctrine validation, only one of the four that the Army possesses.
There are a total of 14 Corps in the Army, each with about 50,000 troopers.
Ten of them are defensive ‘Pivot’ formations, with limited offensive capability. But Strike Corps are totally offensive formations that enter a battlefield aiming to annihilate the enemy forces completely.