Army Commander reviews Kharga Corps integrated firepower drill

An integrated firepower exercise Kharga Shakti to practise and validate synchronised delivery of firepower by a strike corps in complete integration with surveillance resources and air power assets of the Indian Air force was conducted by Ambala-based 2 Corps this month.

The manoeuvres were reviewed on Wednesday by the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt Gen Manoj Katiyar, at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in north-western Rajasthan on the exercise’s culmination. The GOC, Kharga Corps, Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar, along with senior officers from Command and Corps Headquarters and formation commanders, was also present.

The Army Commander interacted with officers and soldiers participating in the war drill and said that this exercise was a testament to the Indian Army’s strength and a milestone in Kharga Corps' operational preparedness.

Highlighting the importance of synergy with the Indian Air Force, he urged the soldiers to strive for excellence and live up to the history and ethos of the Corps and its emblem, the "Kharga of Maa Kali", the ultimate weapon symbolising the destruction of enemy in the battlefield.

The exercise demonstrated seamless, effective and persuasive integrated firing in a simulated operational environment for operations in obstacle-ridden terrain. The coordinated delivery of firepower by all elements of the Kharga Corps was synchronized with fighter bomber missions, photo reconnaissance sorties and attack helicopters of the Air Force.

The exercise also incorporated several newly inducted systems such as swarm drones, loiter munition systems, quadcopters and logistic drones to enhance battlefield efficiency and their employment was validated with newly formulated tactics, techniques and procedures.