Army's Western Command conducts 'Gagan Strike' exercise in Punjab melding armour and air assets

Chandigarh, May 7 (IANS) The Kharga Corps, under the aegis of the Indian Army's Western Command, has completed Gagan Strike-II, a three-day joint exercise conducted at multiple locations in Punjab to refine processes and validate the employment of attack helicopters in support of mechanised operations in developed terrain, a defence statement said on Tuesday.

Western Command chief, Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar, along with Kharga Corps commander, Lt Gen Rahul R. Singh, complimented all ranks of the Kharga Corps, Army Aviation, and the Indian Air Force for their professional excellence and synergy of effort in the conduct of integrated operations, the statement said.

The exercise, incorporating Apache and ALH-WSI helicopters, unarmed aerial vehicles, and the Army's Special Forces, was aimed at validating and exercising various force multipliers in support of the ground offensive by the Strike Corps, along with live firing by helicopters as demanded by mechanised forces during offensive manoeuvres.

The exercise showcased high levels of synergy and jointmanship among the two services.

The focus was to practice centralised and decentralised attack helicopter missions duly supported by other force multipliers. Ground force commanders exercised the employment of aerial assets, including drones for enhanced situational awareness and destruction of mobile and static targets.

The exercise enabled formations and units of Western Command to execute joint operations, with seamless integration of all ground and aerial assets to achieve laid down objectives, the statement said.

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