The Indian Army, operating under Headquarters Southern Command, conducted Exercise Agni Varsha at the Pokhran Field Firing Ranges on Tuesday to assess its operational readiness and integrated combat strength in the desert sector. The drill emphasized the coordinated use of combined arms, precision long-range firepower, and network-enabled command and control systems in a realistic battlefield environment, according to an official statement. The Integrated Fire and Manoeuvre Exercise highlighted the combat efficiency of mechanised forces functioning in close coordination across multiple domains. Defence journalists from 25 countries observed the exercise, gaining direct exposure to the speed, accuracy, and decisive firepower of the Army’s Combined Arms Forces in the Thar Desert.

Advanced technologies were incorporated into the exercise, including unmanned aerial systems, counter-drone measures, precision-guided rocket systems, modern artillery platforms, and networked surveillance capabilities. The Integrated Manoeuvre Force featured T-90 main battle tanks, infantry combat vehicles, K-9 Vajra, Sharang and Bofors artillery systems, rocket launch platforms, indigenous ALH Weapon System Integrated helicopters, Apache attack helicopters, along with various surveillance and strike drones.

Exercise Agni Varsha reflects the Army’s continued emphasis on technological advancement, indigenisation, and capability enhancement. It demonstrated the force’s preparedness to conduct swift and decisive operations in alignment with national objectives. The 7th edition of the annual joint military exercise Dharma Guardian between the Indian Army and the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force began on Tuesday at the Foreign Training Node in Chaubattia, Uttarakhand. The exercise is scheduled to run from February 24 to March 9.

This edition includes 120 personnel from each side, with Japan represented by troops from the 32nd Infantry Regiment and the Indian contingent drawn from the Ladakh Scouts, according to the Ministry of Defence. Held alternately in India and Japan, Dharma Guardian remains a significant component of bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries.