Joint Military Exercise near LAC by IAF and Army
Image for Representational Purposes OnlyAccording to sources from the defence department, in mid-March, the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted a joint air-land exercise named Vayu Prahar in an undisclosed location close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in northeast India.
The exercise aimed to institutionalise tactical-level jointness between the defence forces as a precursor to creating integrated theatre commands amidst ongoing military standoff between India and China along the Tibetan border from 2020. The exercise involved quick mobilisation of a specified rapid reaction force from the hinterland to undertake air-landed operations in a nominated advanced landing ground (ALGs) near the LAC, which is a crucial aspect of India's infrastructure push along the LAC. The exercise involved Army formations, Special Forces, and the IAF, and the scope included the coordination and rehearsal of various agencies for quick mobilisation, transportation, and deployment of forces within a theatre that can be executed across theatres. The exercise aimed to validate and refine procedures essential for synergised joint operations. Last month, the Army had conducted Trishakti Prahar, a joint training exercise, near the strategic Siliguri Corridor in North Bengal, involving all arms and services of the Army, IAF, and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to practise battle preparedness using the latest equipment and weapons in a networked and integrated environment.