Three services to conduct joint drill to enhance war strategy

In a move aimed at fine-tuning joint war-fighting capabilities and enhancing operational synergy, a largescale tri-service exercise involving the assets of the Navy, the Army and the Air Force was conducted at sea off Goa and Karwar from November 17-23, the Navy said Monday.

Besides the deployment of naval assets such as Kolkata-class destroyers, landing ships, fleet support ship with ship-borne helicopters, Marcos and other force levels from all the three maritime commands of the Navy, the exercise saw participation of amphibious troops, special forces, engineers along with support elements from the Army, C-17, C-130J, IL-76, AN 32 aircraft and Garud special force of the IAF.

Major activities conducted during this exercise included amphibious landing operations, air-landed operations, helicopter-borne insertion of special forces from the sea, combat free fall by the tri-service special forces teams culminating in tactical follow-on operations on land.

This exercise was coordinated by the Indian Navy's Western Naval Command in consultation with Head Quarters of the Integrated Defence Services (HQIDS).

"The exercise was conducted as part of the biennial calendar of tri-service exercises steered by HQ IDS, which aims to fine-tune joint war-fighting capabilities and SOPs towards enhancing operational synergy," the statement said.