Article Posted on : - May 04, 2009

Indian Flag with Indian Army logo. A File Photo

CHANDIGARH (BNS): Indian army has begun �HIND SHAKTI�, a two-sided exercise, in Punjab aimed to validate and enhance operational effectiveness of its premier KHARGA corps.

Army aims to certify its doctrine of proactive strategy through the exercise which started on Saturday, a PIB release said here.

The exercise commenced with massed mechanised manoeuvres involving tanks, BMPs, artillery guns and specialist vehicles. Air-dropping of paratroopers and heliborne operations were also undertaken with the aim of pushing into the enemy heartland.

Army�s modernisation programme, a wide variety of state-of-the- art equipment has been inducted into the KHARGA Corps. In the field of IT, they had developed a concept of Networked Operations which exploit real time surveillance means like Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAVs), satellite imagery, ground �based surveillance resources and mission reports from Air Force / Attack Helicopters.

Army had made special efforts to minimise inconvenience to the public during this exercise in close cooperation with the civil administration, it said.