The Army’s Shatrujeet Brigade in Agra took part in a big multi-domain exercise with the three services of the Andaman and Nicobar Command on Wednesday to practice its quick response on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The high-intensity drill, which was done with the Indian Air Force and Navy, tested how well the Special Forces of the three services could work together and with each other. During the practice, you had to respond to different plans and possible situations in real-life tactical settings.
According to the Army, the paratroopers took off from Agra and landed with surgical accuracy on a remote island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from an IAF C130 J Super Hercules aircraft in the early hours of Wednesday.
During the practice, special equipment was tested and used, and combat free fall jumps and maneuvers on the ground were done.
#Paratroopers of #ShatrujeetBrigade displayed the highest standards of training & operational preparedness in a high-voltage Joint Tri-Services exercise with @AN_Command while validating their rapid reaction & special operations capability.#IndianArmy#OnPathToTransformation pic.twitter.com/NhgB4YkuCL
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 6, 2023
Defense sources say that being able to drop Special Forces from the air onto island regions is an important skill that is needed to handle emergencies on India’s islands and to help out other countries.
India places a lot of strategic importance on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands because they are close to the Indo-Pacific and to major sea lines of communication (SLOC) in the Bay of Bengal.
“Also, the joint operation with the IAF and Navy special forces makes it easier for them to work together in theaterized domains,” a defense source said.
The Indian military has already set up the Armed troops Special Operations Division (AFSOD), where the special troops of the three services train together.
In 2021, the Shatrujeet brigade dropped troops from the air close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh at an altitude of over 14,000 ft. This was part of an airborne drill and combat maneuvers to test the brigade’s ability to respond quickly.
In the past few years, the three services have done a number of drills together. Close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the northeast, the Army and the IAF worked together on an air and land drill called Vayu Prahar last month.
In February, the Army held a joint training exercise called Trishakti Prahar near the important Siliguri Corridor in North Bengal. The Army, the Indian Air Force (IAF), and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) all took part in the drill.
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