NEW DELHI: The Indian military is to conduct one of its largest mock war drills – involving 20,000 troops – close to the country's border with nuclear-armed rival Pakistan, an official said on Monday.
The manoeuvres, named Shoorveer or Brave Warrior, which will also involve 200 Russian-made tanks, are due to begin in the deserts of India's state of Rajasthan next month, army spokesman colonel Jagdeep Dahiya told AFP.
“The exercise will be one of the largest manoeuvres conducted so far,” he said, adding that latest warplanes would be factored into the drills, which are scheduled to end in May.
In a separate statement the military said tanks, frontline combat vehicles, artillery, helicopters, fighter jets, drones, air-defence weapons and military radars would be part of the exercise.
Another military source said the event would be held less than 200 kilometres (124 miles) from the highly militarised border with Pakistan, with which India has fought three wars since independence from British rule in 1947.
Dahiya dismissed fears the exercise -- to be conducted by an elite military corps raised only for cross-border assault -- would crank up tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.
“We do inform Pakistan in advance whenever such large-scale exercises are conducted by us,” the army colonel added.
New Delhi froze peace talks started in 2004 with Islamabad following attacks in Mumbai in 2008 by gunmen India says came from Pakistan. The assault left 166 people dead.
The slow-moving peace dialogue resumed early last year with cross visits by officials to India and Pakistan.
The two South Asian adversaries carried out tit-for-tat nuclear detonations in 1998 and declared themselves as nuclear-armed states.
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What next? Writings on the wall to be beware and be prepared. Not to be fooled by trade and MFN fasade.
So we are all in agreement that Aman Ki Asha is a total waste of time and money
India is a very lenient and soft country. unlike Pakistan, where Army is the over-all power, in India, it is the Democratic Government which control army. Army is not aggressive and are relying on courage fighting with vintage artilleries and the likes until army weapon modernization started. Also, I believe, Indian army is lenient on country Pakistan on all wars. The belief is India exists because of the separete Islamic countries in the west and eastern side which supported the idea of secularism and democracy which made current India. it is Democracy which is often blamed for the Soft stance of India.
I being an Indian agree with 99.99% of the Pakistanis who thinks Aman Ki Asha is a waste of tax payers money. I mean we can take the horse to the water but cannot force it to drink. How can you change the mindset of people who dream to drop nuke in India (India has no first usage policy ) at the first given opportunity.
@Pakistani Nuclear holocaust fanboys, if you decided already to drop the nuke please do it in night so I can pass away peacefully thank you.
@By pak brothers!! these are only practise exercises!! In India, this is how Armed forces keep themselves busy. Playing Games! In Pakistan, Army has no time to practise games. they are running country, doing business, and trying to rule and control every aspect of Pakistani life! please dont get stressed and dont get emotional. Also dont get scared. India has never ever attacked pakistan. And it never will! However..please dont mess with India. that is frowned upon.
@Concern1
they will surely enjoy caring back real bodybags as in real war
You mean like the one Americans carried back from Abbotabad.
Western attacks on Iran may drag South Asian nations into a skirmish.
@antanu g:
Come on. A little war once in a while is good for your health. Keeps you sharp. Normal life is boring and monotonous anyways. How many times you hear an enemy aircraft screeching across your skyline with air-raid sirens going off. Thrilling, isn't it?
@YeaRight:
"Aman Ki Asha liberals still maintain that India not enemy, warplanes are simply birdwatching and air dropping candies on the border!"
The training exercise has nothing to do with any peace process. All militaries in the world have a duty to keep themselves sharp through exercises and training. How else is a military force supposed to keep sharp?
Firstly, I do not understand why many of my fellow Pakistanis get into a war frenzy. India can never invade Pakistan as long as their is harmony within the nation. No matter how large an army is, it cannot defend a territory that turns hostile from within. Soviet Russia is an example.
Pakistanis become extremely emotional and tend to side with our own extremist elements just to counter India. This approach is not correct. India is a hostile country, but we can still maintain a working relationship like Turkey and Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. We have to talk face to face.
So what are we playing monopoly, scrabble, Ludo, oh please be snakes and ladders I love that game. Got the dice right here.
Indians are most welcomed to do the military exercise not 200 miles away from the border but do it across the border, i can assure the Indians that they will not go dissapointed, they will surely enjoy caring back real bodybags as in real war. SO WELCOME TO THE WAR ZONE
@Concerned: hmm..
Good to see some Pakistani friends having a positive approach. And congratulations to them, despite the fact that they live in an ambiance which has so much negativity around. It's good to see some rational people in the neighbourhood.
Indian army is professional army that trains for what it is supposed to do. I can understand why pakistanis find it strange. They are used to seeing army running real estate, tikka joints, cereal factory, goods transportation companies or taking over government. Please, believe us my pakistani brothers and sisters (except Veena Malik!), Indian army is doing what the real armies really supposed to do.
A little rant about India and Pakistan: People shouldn't be concerned by war games, countries continue to do this to 'flex' their muscles, I am certain Pakistan will respond similarly at some point - but war is very unlikely. These are just displays of national pride - it doesn't mean war. If India plans on invading Pakistan, it is plausible that initially the Indian advance will succeed in capturing several cities. Assuming the countries don't nuke each other, know that the Pakistani population is extremely tenacious and will fight back. The Indians may thus take the opportunity to create divisions among Pakistani states, but if the Pakistani ideology is revisited and strengthened through a fresh political party like the PTI, then the instability in Pakistan may start to disperse. The process will be relatively slow, but absolutely necessary to maintain Pakistan's viability and strategists to stop being concerned with the Indian 'threat' and move forward in our diplomacy to strengthen Pakistan's position in the world. Turn the Indian giant next door into an economic partner (and in the distant future, a friend?). One doesn't have to trust them, but at the very least use them for our benefit and perhaps ultimately, the subcontinental cousins can get along and form something like the EU.
The might of Pakistan cannot be threatened by the Indian toys which would be used in these stupid games...... go and practice..... ! wars are not won by weapons and technology.... FeeAmanAllah!
What are we going to do with all the weapons that we are buying..We need to practice it before we use it. Why do Pakistanis allow only Americans to practice? Why they love only imported bombs and not local ones?
No apologies or excuses necessary! It is a normal exercise for any self-respecting nation to test and improve its preparedness especially when one is surrounded by beasts who want to bleed one by "a thousand cuts"! If some don't like it, tough luck. Go back to Arabia!
we in India are truly happy with our lives,our economy is fine,war is the last thing on our mind & neither do we support baloch insurgency.So no worry,we r conducting war games in our own territory which is our right.JAI HIND
@Pakistan politics: the point is
unfortunately indian army cannot find desert like conditions anywhere withing except rajasthan which is unfortunately near Pak-border...
last year Pak-China joint exercise was conducted near Indian border...any probs??
@Wow, Senthilman Yes and between Taliban's Difa-e-Afghanistan against the US most powerful military force we all know how this contest in Afghanistan turned out. Might of military force is not an absolute guarantee of victory!
India is hostile neighbor whats the point of conducting military exercises near Pak border?? Yes it is our enemy number one
@Ali: Well said- all of those pro India Pakistanis in Karachi should forget about Aman ki asha and think about the real intentions of India. I for one do not want to live like a slave in occupied Kashmir.Pakistan should never forget why it has a deterrent against an India where millions starve but the Indian nation never tires of spending billions on weapons to be used against Pakistan.
Why is this news - it's two hundred miles away from your border? If India is determined to adopt American strategy on coordinating various components of it's military to maximize effectiveness then more training is in order.
@Senthilman: Hundreds of "Difa-e-Pakistan" happens in India. Your media is one most frontline propagators of hatred. If we did for us, why it is bothering you indians?
These are routine drill to maintain preparedness. So, why is this even news?!!!
@Whatthewhaa: What makes you think Pak has "far more superior" nukes? Considering that India has far more resources, greater access to technology and a far larger pool of trained scientists, there is no reality in your claim. Of course, it certainly makes you feel "safe" in your delusions!!!!
No need to worry yar.. c'mon.. this is just a war game :).. don't worry..
India will never attack first. Indian diplomacy is based upon economics. No-one wants war.. we want trade and good relations.. Army job is to keep itself rejuvenated. Everyone does it....
@commenters who give one liners "Aman Ki Asha"
Well if Pakistan displays Difa-e-Pakistan what you expect India to do ? sit back and smile at you?
haha this is news wow India is conducting planned war game not attacking Pakistan.So now the Indian armed should stop conducting these Military exercises because some Pakistani are worried, wonder why sri lanka does not get worried or for that matter any other Indian ocean country when we naval exercises are conducted by us.The best part it of all is the Wars were started by Pakistan except in the 1971 genocide.
@anthony Thank you the rationale logic instead of the mindless chestthumping. Both countries stand to lose alot if war breaks, india more than Pakistan (because pak is already unstable). I think with the way afghanistan is turning out, this maybe indian insecurity playing out so they are staging this as a warning. But then again our army and public right now have managed to withstand america pressure and told them to backoff.(in the end American threats never materialised or affected pakistan) I don't really think most Pakistanis including the army will take this too seriously. Everyone knows it will be an extremely stupid mistake on India's part if it provokes tensions.
@Whatthewhaa:
That settles it. No need for Pak to worry at all. See!
Another Brasstacks? Pakistan always misunderstand the intentions of Indians. All the wars, 1948, 1965, 1971, Siachin started by Pakistan. Just hope this won't turn into a disaster.
What's the fuss about? It's a war game not war. I can't imagine India objecting if Pak did the same and as stated, Pak has been informed well in advance.
And if someone is suggesting that India is trying to intimidate a smaller neighbor/weaker cousin, Indian war games are conducted near Indo-China border too.
Come on guys. India had the exercise or drill with the Chinese, American etc. You can also join in, It is afterall exercises work out only.
No worries, we've got our far more superior nukes all in order.
Confidence Building Measure (CBM) I assume
@Samir: How many people died in samjhotya express?
I wonder where the holier then thou India trolls are?
Its just a wargame. Not a big deal. Dear pakistanis, dont take it otherwise.
"New Delhi froze peace talks started in 2004 with Islamabad following attacks in Mumbai in 2008 by gunmen India says came from Pakistan. The assault left 166 people dead."
Ajmal Kasab confessed to being a Pakistani. So it is not an Indian claim. It is fact backed by evidence.
@Word Life: Good Joke that is mate.
this is not 20000 troops this is 60,000 troops.Over 60,000 soldiers with T-90 S,T-72 M1 main-battle tanks and infantry vehicles, backed by Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters aircraft, helicopters, drones, satellites etc will take part in the exercise near pak border
Pakistan displays Difa-e-Pakistan and India its largest military might.
The Amman Ki Asha wargames?
And then they say they want to pursue peace.
If I start shadow boxing outside my neighbours house, it only indicates that I am itching for a fight. We all know that Indians like to itch a lot.
Let it be WAR GAMES and not real WAR for God,a sake
Aman Ki Asha liberals still maintain that India not enemy, warplanes are simply birdwatching and air dropping candies on the border!
Might be a good time to test your tactical nukes.
Amman Ki Asha !