Article Posted on : - Feb 27, 2012

NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Army will deploy more than 200 tanks and over 20,000 troops in border state of Rajasthan for one of its biggest-ever wargames -- 'Shoorveer', beginning next month, involving its elite 1 Strike Corps and 10 Corps under the Jaipur-based South Western Command.

The wargame comes a few months after the Army held exercise 'Sudarshan Shakti' in Pokharan to validate its new battle-fighting concepts developed after the transformation studies carried under Gen V K Singh.

"The Army will be conducting an exercise in Rajasthan from March to May 2012.

"All formations and units under the South Western Command will participate to validate doctrines in a joint service environment," Army spokesperson Colonel Jagdeep Dahiya said here.

The exercise will be held in deserts of Bikaner and Shri Ganganagar districts in Rajasthan.

"The exercise will be based on the Integrated Theatre Battle Concept and will be one of the largest maneuvers conducted so far.

"It will enable the army to validate its war fighting concepts while working towards a 'capability based approach' relying on a series of transformational initiatives, concepts, organizational structures and absorption of new age technology," he said.

The Western and South Western Commands of the Indian Air Force are also likely to deploy their frontline aircraft including the Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, Jaguars and the AWACs for the wargame.

"The joint synergy will be enhanced by the active participation of the IAF with the air assets of the Army and the Air Force being employed in an integrated manner," Dahiya said.

"Battlefield transparency and operational plans based on real-time situational awareness will be enhanced using intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) inputs from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, radars and satellites," he added.

The troop and equipment mobilisation for the exercise has already begun and this will be followed by training at Unit and Formation level and will finally culminate into large scale maneuvers.