Army carries out airborne insertion exercise

The Army has carried out a two-day airborne insertion and rapid response exercise in the country’s peninsular region in sync with its overall approach to maintain operational readiness, officials said.

The exercise that concluded on Tuesday involved advanced aerial insertion techniques, or air dropping of soldiers, “combat free fall” and integrated battle drills by airborne and special forces troops.

“The airborne and special forces of the Indian Army practiced their aerial insertion capability and rapid response anywhere on the mainland and in its island territories, in an airborne exercise in Peninsular India on March 14 and 15,” said an official.

“The exercise involved advanced aerial insertion techniques, including combat free fall and integrated battle drills by airborne and special forces troops,” the official added.

The exercise came 10 days after the Army’s airborne and special forces carried out aerial insertion and related drills in the Siliguri corridor along the northern border with China.

The Siliguri corridor is a stretch of land bordering Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. It connects the Northeast region with the rest of India and is considered crucial from the military perspective.

Besides enhancing its overall surveillance and combat readiness along the border with China, India has also been focusing on boosting military preparedness in the peninsular region.