The Indian triservices insignia. (Creative Commons photo by KC Velaga)
New Delhi: The Indian armed forces are set to demonstrate their indigenous defence-manufacturing capabilities through an integrated triservice firepower and manoeuvre exercise called “Exercise Bharat Shakti” at Rajasthan’s Pokhran Firing Range, on Tuesday. The event will showcase indigenously manufactured equipment from all three services – Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air force – through live firing and manoeuvre demonstrations followed by a static display.
The prime minister, Narendra Modi, is expected to witness the event.
According to official figures, 98 per cent of defence contracts in 2023 were awarded to domestic industries. This shift has been driven by the “Make in India” initiative, launched in 2020, which catalysed research and development and the establishment of an indigenous manufacturing ecosystem.
The live demonstration will depict multidomain offensive operations using indigenously developed weapons, platforms, and systems. It will involve special forces infiltration, intelligence surveillance, degradation of targets using long-range vectors and artillery guns, as well as air-defence operations. The static display will feature equipment like the Tejas fighter, helicopters, torpedoes, unmanned aerial systems, tanks, artillery guns, and radars among others.
Showcasing the jointmanship between the three services will be key elements like integrated communications networks, geographic information systems, and spectrum management tools. Capabilities in the cyber and space domains will also be on display.
In a news release informing about the event, officials highlighted India’s efforts towards self-sufficiency in ammunition production as well as indigenization of imported platforms and their spare parts to reduce dependency on global supply chains amid conflicts and disruptions. Exercise Bharat Shakti aims to underline India’s quest for self-reliance and its ability to undertake integrated triservice operations leveraging indigenous capabilities amid global uncertainties.
