NEW DELHI: The Indian Army’s field firing range in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, has been rendered “unsafe” due to the construction of the Ayodhya airport, forcing the force to scout for land elsewhere.
A senior Army officer said, “In the case of Ayodhya range, we all know that a new airport has come up and this range is in the flight path of aircraft.” It would become unsafe, he said, to continue utilising that range. In such cases, we seek alternative location and carry out firing drills.”
“You are aware that the Army needs field firing ranges essentially to carry out trials of heavy weapons, including tanks and infantry Combat Vehicles (ICVs). We continue to use the ranges which are available. At the same time, the development of the country is also important,” The source added.
Sources said the Indian Army is at an advanced stage of acquiring a field firing range in one of the northeastern states, bordering China after one of its firing ranges in Uttar Pradesh became unviable due to establishment of an airport in Ayodhya.
“In the forward area, we are in the process of acquiring certain field firing ranges, including one in one of the forward states of the eastern front. We are in the advanced stage of acquiring that range and such a range helps us keep running.”
Field firing ranges are crucial in training new Army personnel and making them battle-ready.
A controversy on the unpopulated ‘Majha Jamthara’ village erupted as it used to be notified for the Army Training buffer zone, but was de-notified in May this year. It is just next to the Ayodhya Army Cantonment, with the famed Dogra Regimental Centre also in the area. It was being used by the Army for firing and artillery practice.
The significance of the village rose with the newly constructed Ram temple being just 6-km from ‘Majha Jamthara’ village. There have been 14 villages notified, for the purpose of Army’s training, as the “buffer zones” from August 2020 to July 2025.
Ayodhya Airport, officially named as Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhya Dham, is an international airport serving the twin cities of Ayodhya and Faizabad.
UP Governor Anandiben Patel had de-notified land marked as a ‘buffer zone’ for Army training in Ayodhya. The Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) later said it would allow mapping in the area, publicly opening it up for construction and commercial use.
Tejinder Singh appointed new IAF deputy chief
Air Marshal Tejinder Singh took charge as the Indian Air Force’s Deputy Chief of Air Staff at the headquarters Vayu Bhawan on Sunday. He replaces Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, who has been appointed as the new Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command. Singh, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, was commissioned in the IAF fighter stream on June 13, 1987. As the new deputy chief, he will be primarily deal with planning future procurements, managing current projects, and dealing with revenue and capital procurement.
4 women officers join Army’s veterinary corps
In a first, the Indian Army commissioned four women officers in its Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) in May this year, sources said. “The women officers have been posted in some of the forward areas,” sources said. The RVC officers and personnel have been serving at the grassroots level in the war-ravaged nations and insurgency-hit areas within the country.
Their humanitarians programmes, including veterinary aid camps under Operation Sadbhavana in remote villages, have directly benefitted local population. The Corps is the source of specialised dogs, horses and mules used in the Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary forces, Police and CISF. It is also working on a project to train the bird of prey to check the increasing threat of drones. The RVC has been also involved in breeding of specialist horses for equestrian sports.