`KAVACH': Indian armed forces conduct conjoint military exercises in Andaman sea

Conducted under the aegis of Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) with the participation of Eastern Naval Command (ENC) and Army Southern Command (SC) involving assets of Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, the exercise is aimed at enhancing joint operational readiness.

The exercise involved participation and deployment of all forces of ANC, elements of Amphibious Brigade of Army's Southern Command along with corvettes, submarine, and amphibious landing ships of Navy's Eastern Fleet and Marine Commandos. Jaguar Maritime Strike and transport aircraft from Indian Air Force and assets of Coast Guard also participated.

The exercise commenced with maritime strikes by Jaguar aircraft, Para Commandos, and Marine Commandos carrying out Combat Free Fall at Car Nicobar with an aim to validate air dominance and maritime strike capability within the area of interest in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Prior to amphibious landing operations, troops of the Army, Navy, and Air Force were mobilized and transported by sea and air in close coordination with all agencies.

As part of shaping the battlefield, MARCOS along with their combat loads and Air Droppable Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (ADR) were dropped over the Andaman Sea, enabling the Marine Commandos to reach the target with stealth and speed. MI-17 V5 Armed Helicopters undertook precision targeting against designated enemy assets at sea and on land.

The training exercise culminated with the beach landing operations by elements of the Amphibious Brigade of Southern Command from INS Jalashwa, Airavat, Guldar, and LCU MK-4 class of ships with 600 troops along with tanks, troop carrier vehicles, and other heavy weapons. The logistic team demonstrated and validated the joint logistic system and its capabilities to respond to dynamic changes in operational situations and combat missions. The areas in which the exercise was conducted holds strategic significance for India.

The exercise also validated joint capabilities of intelligence gathering from space, air, land, and sea-based assets, its synthesis, analysis, and near real-time sharing to achieve battlefield transparency for quick decision making. The joint force executed multi-domain, high-intensity offensive and defensive maneuvers in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. The tri-services exercise fine-tuned joint warfighting capabilities and Standard Operating Procedures towards enhancing operational synergy.