Article Posted on : - Jun 11, 2011

NEW DELHI (PTI): Mobilising over 20,000 troops and over 200 tanks, the Indian Army will hold a massive exercise in winters along the western border with Pakistan involving the elite 21 Strike Corps.

"The 21 Strike Corps under the Southern Command will hold its routine exercise in the western deserts in Pokharan in November-December time-frame," army officials told reporters here.

The exercise will be part of the army's routine war-games under which it validates and fine-tunes its war-fighting concepts and doctrines.

During the exercise, the Army troops will also practice joint operations, with the Indian Air Force fighters and transport aircraft also taking part in the war-games to showcase their fire power.

"The exercise will involve precision munition and advance surveillance systems to achieve a greater degree of network centric capability," they said.

After its experience in 'Operation Parakram', the Indian Army has been practising manoeuvres to reduce the time taken to mobilise its troops to attack enemy formations swiftly.

The war-games came soon after the army successfully carried out two exercises in the summer. Exercise 'Vijayee Bhava' involving the 2 Strike Corps was carried out in the Mahajan ranges in Rajasthan whereas 'Pine Prahar' was held in the plains of Punjab by the Jalandhar-based 11 Vajra Corps.