NEW DELHI: The Army on Tuesday conducted a helicopter-borne exercise in the higher reaches of the Kashmir Valley to practice inserting a task force “behind enemy lines in an intense air defence and electronic warfare-operating environment”.
The exercise saw the task force, which included infantry soldiers, special forces and marine commandos, being airdropped in a snow-clad region at an altitude of over 9,000 feet.
“The exercise included transport and armed helicopters of the Army and IAF, including the latest Apache attack-choppers. Different aspects of electronic warfare were also validated in the exercise,” an officer said.
“The exercise showcased the capability of the Srinagar based 15 ‘Chinar’ Corps and other Army units to carry out successful operations in high altitude areas,” he added.
Last month, in a signal to China to desist from any misadventure, the Army and IAF had also conducted a major “airborne insertion and combat” exercise along the frontier in eastern Ladakh.
The three-day exercise had witnessed hundreds of pre-acclimatised troops and heavy weapon systems being air-dropped at an altitude of over 14,000-feet amidst minus 20o Celsius temperatures. India and China are slated to conduct the 14th round of corps commander-level talks this month.
