As many as 103 military observers from 59 countries including China Iran, USA, UK, Russia and France, witnessed the impressive ‘Exercise Brazen Chariot’ with bated breath.

However, Pakistan was deliberately kept out of the exercise though it took place barely 75 km from the international border. But, Islamabad was informed about heavy military build up so close to the border.

“It (the exercise) shows that with new technologies in the mechanised column, we are at 2.5 times ahead of the enemy,” said Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj, the commander-in-chief of Pune-based Southern Command of the Army.
The exercise — the biggest ever planned by the armed forces involving 37,000 officers and soldiers — was a mock war game between two imaginary forces — Red force and Blue force. They were engaged to each other to capture a critical communication hub, Manglewali Dhani, which provides the first access to the enemy’s territory.
Foreign military observers declined to make specific comments on the exercise.

But chief of army staff Gen Deepak Kapoor said, “The exercise achieved its objective which was to try modern weapons and find out a synergy of functioning with the IAF.”

The Army’s Southern Command and IAF South Western Command had worked together in planning and executing the mammoth exercise.

 “It shows jointness is not merely a doctrinal concept but a reality,” said Air Marshal K D Singh, commander-in-chief of the IAF South Western Command.

While frontline IAF fighters like Su-30 MKI, MiG-21 Bison, MiG-27 and Mi-35 attack helicopters unleashed the firepower from the air, T-90 tanks, infantry combat vehicles, Bofors guns and Russian Smerch multi-barrel rocket launchers matched them with awesome prowess on the ground. Air defence support was provided by Army’s Russia-made Tunguska air defence system and IAF’s Steller guns and OSA-AK systems.

There were elaborate reconnaissance and surveillance mission involving aerial surveillance from aircraft, satellite and helicopter, human intelligence gathered through para-dropping advance team in the enemy zone and final matching from the imageries obtained by an unmanned aerial vehicle flying at an altitude of 8 km.

“The exercise also proves the effectiveness of the fast sensor-to-shooter network through the decision makers. Even in the days of nuclear warfare, there is always space for conventional battle,” said Gen
Thamburaj.