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Port Blair/ April 6, 2024: The Andaman & Nicobar Command which is also known as the tri-services Command on Wednesday, held a joint military exercise code-named ‘EX KAVACH’. The exercise involved the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. It consisted of various war-like drills such as amphibious landings and assaults, freefall operations, underwater demolition and aerial insertion of the special forces from the three organisations.Â
Aim Behind The Tri Service Exercise.
The tri services’ most advanced weapon systems were deployed during the exercise. The exercise aimed to improve the coordination and unity between the organisations, including short response time in the events of the war.
During the exercise, multidimensional maritime operations were possible due to the coordinated deployment of amphibious attack vessels and reconnaissance vessels, the successful conduct of naval air strikes, and intricate manoeuvres at sea. The exercise also included the aerial deployment of the Navy’s Marcos commandos and Army’s Shatrujeet Brigade, as well as naval fire support, amphibious landings, and monitoring operations. Joint surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence activities also took place.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands are strategically important to India, due to its significant Sea Line Of Communication (SLOC). These are the key sea routes between ports, used for trade, logistics and naval activity in the Bay of Bengal.
China’s ‘String of Pearls’ strategy is slowly breathing its last breath of air, as India plans to counter by militarising the islands which act as chokepoints in China’s operations. This not only gives India strategic superiority but makes it capable of controlling China’s economy.
Aside from leveraging the islands for geopolitical advantage, the government already has developmental projects going on in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which are part of the NITI Aayog.
Military development of the island has been discussed earlier on numerous occasions. Although, the majority of establishments remained sluggish and did not take a dynamic strategy. If utilised effectively, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands have the potential to secure the Indo-Pacific while also incorporating the Quad to fight China in its turf, i.e the South China Sea.
The tri-service command also acts as the Special Operations Division, where the special forces from the three organisations train together. The Indian Air Force showcased its excellent firepower and support capabilities. This exercise will help the armed forces of the country to seek and destroy foreign targets from the North as well as the West.
A similar exercise was held in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in 2021 and was known as AMPHEX-21. All three services were present during the previous exercise which was held from January 21 to 25, 2021. The drill was designed to demonstrate India’s ability to protect the territorial integrity of the country’s island territories. The drill included diverse maritime missions.
In 2021, the Shatrujeet Brigade carried out freefall exercises at an altitude of about 14,000 ft in Ladakh, near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). To show its capabilities in case of a Chinese invasion.
A month ago, the IAF and the Indian Army held a joint land and air operation, Vayu Prahar, in the northeastern states close to the LAC, which managed to upset China.
The recent EX KAVACH, where ‘kavach’ means an armour of some type is especially aimed to protect India in the circumstances that its neighbours in the North decide to invade the nation’s island territories. Moreover, it show its neighbours that India can hold a two-front war.
