PM Modi To Witness Tri-Service Firepower Exercise ‘Bharat Shakti’ In Pokhran

In the arid terrain of Rajasthan’s Pokhran, the stage has been set for the mega ‘Bharat Shakti’ exercise which will demonstrate on Tuesday the prowess of indigenously manufactured defence equipment of the three services.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness the integrated tri-service firepower and manoeuvre exercise that will be held for about 50 minutes. The country’s top military brass will also be present on the occasion.

#WATCH | Rajasthan | Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with delegates from more than 30 countries will witness exercise “Bharat Shakti” at the Pokhran field firing range in Jaisalmer. The exercise will display the firepower capability of indigenous weapons and the operational… pic.twitter.com/LQJMmHWecn

— ANI (@ANI) March 12, 2024

LCA Tejas, ALH Mk-IV, LCH Prachand, mobile anti-drone system, BMP-II and its variants, NAMICA (Nag Missile Carrier), T90 tanks, Dhanush, K9 Vajra and Pinaka rockets are among the platforms that will be demonstrated at Pokhran, about 100 km from Jaisalmer city.

Everything is set for the mega exercise, a senior official said.

‘Bharat Shakti’ will demonstrate the prowess of indigenously manufactured defence equipment of the three services, Additional Director General, Army Design Bureau, Major General C S Mann told reporters on Saturday.

It will showcase the “shock and awe” impact that the armed forces seek to achieve in an operational situation with manoeuvre and fighting capabilities, he had said.

“Synergised joint operations will be decisive in the Indian context. Through live firepower and manoeuvre demonstration, it is endeavoured 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,” Major General Mann had earlier said while announcing the details of the exercise.

The first-of-its-kind exercise on such a scale is “not tailored towards any direction (northern or western border) or any adversaries”, sources in the defence establishment said.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office, in a statement, said PM Modi will witness the ‘Bharat Shakti’ exercise at Pokhran.

“In a clear indication of India’s readiness to confront and overcome contemporary and future challenges with home-grown solutions, ‘Bharat Shakti’ highlights resilience, innovation and strength of India’s domestic defence capabilities on the global stage,” it said.

“The programme exemplifies the nation’s strong strides towards ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, by showcasing the might and operational prowess of the Indian armed forces and the ingenuity and commitment of the indigenous defence industry,” the statement said.

The exercise at Pokhran in Jaisalmer district will also showcase systems and platforms integrated with the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

“It will showcase live integrated multi-domain operations of the three services in offensive operations using indigenous equipment,” as also “high synergy, multi-service, multi-domain capability, thereby demonstrating inter-service synergy,” an official said.

The exercise, being conducted at Pokhran, imposes terrain restrictions on depicting naval manoeuvres. However, such equipment will be showcased as part of the static display that will follow the live demonstration.

In this demonstration, “the latest indigenous equipment of all three services… what impact they will have on adversaries, on their physical capabilities and their mental state, the ‘shock and awe’ will be showcased,” he added.

The proceedings will commence with the Army’s Special Forces, MARCOS of the Indian Navy and GARUDS of the Indian Air Force “infiltrating by all-terrain vehicles and slithering operations, while surveillance of the battlefield will be carried out by remotely piloted aircraft and drones. This will be followed by the degradation of targets by long-range vectors and artillery guns,” he said.

The IAF will achieve a “favourable air situation by engaging strategic targets in depth, whereas the Navy will undertake maritime operations for strategic effects,” the senior officer said, adding some part of the naval segment of the exercise (happening at sea) will be displayed digitally on a screen.

Besides firepower and ammunition, logistic capabilities for transporting equipment and evacuation of injured and casualties using the latest technologies will also be demonstrated.

Various types of Radar, UAV-launched precision-guided munition, Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles, drones of various types, including logistic drones and swarms of drones, and 3D-printed bunkers will be part of the exercise.

The aspects of India’s cyber and multi-domain operations capabilities are also being dovetailed along with the operations of the three services. The exercise will also underline India’s growing emphasis on self-reliance in defence.

How individual communication systems of the tri-services are integrated, ‘e-Tarang’ software tool, GIS-related systems, topographical maps, hydrographic charts and air navigation charts with analysis and operational planning capabilities will also be showcased during the exercise.