Indian Army holds Buland Bharat, an integrated surveillance and firepower training exercise in Arunachal Pradesh.

Indian Army holds Buland Bharat, an integrated surveillance and firepower training exercise to test “simulated war conditions in high altitude area” at the Mandala High Altitude Firing Ranges of Eastern Theatre.

As per reports by news agency ANI, the training exercise involved the synergised application of surveillance and firepower capabilities of the Artillery and the Infantry in close coordination with Special Forces, Aviation and Central Armed Police Forces deployed in West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh.

The reported further said the exercise validated plans for bringing down integrated firepower by orchestrating synchronised firing by artillery guns and fire support components of Infantry, aimed toward the destruction of designated targets.

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The month-long training culminated with a test exercise in which troops and equipment were tested in simulated war conditions in high altitude areas and extreme weather conditions during which synergised surveillance and firepower from Infantry and Artillery radars, weapon systems and direction of fire from the air were practised. Uninterrupted communication on multiple media was also tested at long distances, it added. 

Reportedly, the army used 155mm Bofors howitzers, 105mm field guns and 120mm mortars, among other heavy weapon systems.

The exercise took place amidst continued tensions between India and China along the LAC which had entered its fourth year. There have been multiples intrusions by People’s Liberation Army into the Indian Territory which has led to a wide array of artillery weapons being deployed along the Line of Actual Control.

Previously, the Army and IAF has also conducted drills for multi-mode rapid insertion of Special Forces as well as specially-designated and equipped units into the eastern theatre by Strategic airlifters like C-17 Globemaster-IIIs and also Chinook and Mi-17 helicopters.

(With inputs from TOI)