Drones and loitering munitions key highlights at ‘Ex Prachand Prahaar’

Kolkata, March 27 (IANS) Swarm drones, kamikaze drones and loitering munitions were key highlights of the tri-services integrated multi-domain exercise Prachand Prahaar being held by the Army's Eastern Command in rugged, high-altitude terrain in Arunachal Pradesh.

Eastern Army commander Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari, Air Marshal Surat Singh, AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command, and Commodore Ajay Yadav, NOIC, West Bengal, reviewed the progress of the exercise on Wednesday.

“In keeping with modern warfare techniques, drones played a very crucial role during the exercise. While surveillance drones and space resources were used, both for deployment of forces and equipment, as well as to detect ‘targets’, swarm drones, kamikaze drones and loitering munitions were effectively tested as offensive weapons,” a senior official of the Eastern Command said.

He added, as is evident from global conflict, drones will play a very important role in future wars, adding that the side with better technology will get an upper hand.

He added that the first phase of the three-day exercise involved deployment of advanced surveillance resources of all three services, including long-range surveillance aircraft of the Indian Air Force and the maritime domain awareness aircraft of the Indian Navy, helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), along with space resources and the Army's elite Special Forces.

The official said that this helped create domain awareness and allowed all assets to detect the simulated targets.

“The next phase began after the targets were identified. These were swiftly destroyed through the synchronised joint firepower of fighter aircraft, long-range rocket systems, medium artillery, armed helicopters, swarm drones, loitering munitions and kamikaze drones in an electronically contested environment,” he said.

‘Ex Prachand Prahaar’ takes place just a few months after ‘Ex Poorvi Prahaar’, which had focussed on the integrated application of aviation assets.

‘Ex Prachand Prahaar’ went a step ahead and validated integrated planning, command and control as well as seamless execution of surveillance and firepower platforms across all three services, covering the entire spectrum of conflict. This is in keeping with the Theatre Command concept that has been mooted.

Lt Gen Tiwari and the others appreciated the commitment to jointness, precision and technological superiority that the exercise displayed.

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