Bharat Shakti exercise to create shock & awe

NEW DELHI: Integrated tri-service exercise ‘Bharat Shakti’ is slated to be held at Pokhran in Rajasthan on March 12 and it will showcase the shock and awe impact that the armed forces seek to achieve in an operational situation by employing manoeuvre and fighting capabilities effectively, a top army official said on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the exercise.

‘Bharat Shakti’ will also demonstrate the prowess of indigenously manufactured defence equipment of the three services, Additional Director General, Army Design Bureau, Major General CS Mann told reporters here.

The integrated tri-service firepower and manoeuvre exercise will be held at Pokhran for about 50 minutes, Mann said.

“The exercise will showcase live integrated multi-domain operations of the three services in offensive operations using indigenous equipment,” Major General Mann added.

LCA Tejas, ALH Mk-IV, mobile anti-drone system, T90 tanks, Dhanush, K9 Vajra and Pinaka are among the platforms that will be demonstrated during Exercise Bharat Shakti, he said.

“It will showcase the ‘shock and awe’ that the three services seek to achieve in an operational situation by employing manoeuvre and fighting capabilities effectively,” Major General Mann said.

The live demonstration will be followed by a static equipment display.

“Synergised joint operations will be decisive in the Indian context. Through live firepower and manoeuvre demonstration, it endeavoures to showcase the tri-services operational capabilities to counter any threat leveraging indigenous capability and the ability to undertake conflicts in the face of global upheavals,” he said.

LCA Tejas, ALH Mk-IV, mobile anti-drone system, T90 tanks, Dhanush, K9 Vajra and Pinaka are among the platforms to be demonstrated