New Delhi: Indian Armed Forces will be deploying their latest American weapons systems including M777 ultra-light howitzers and Chinook heavy-lift helicopters close to borders with China.
The exercise codenamed HimVijay planned by India in the northeast will test the warfighting abilities of the newly-raised 17 Mountain Strike Corps in Arunachal Pradesh. Indian Air Force will also be involved in this exercise which would provide the aerial elements for the real war-type drills.
“During the exercise HimVijay, the 17 Mountain Strike Corps has been provided with the M777 Ultra Light Howitzers as they would be in an attack mode against the ‘enemy’ locations and would require the lighter guns,” senior Army sources told news agency ANI.
During the war games, the American system Chinook heavy-lift choppers will also be utilised. The war games have been planned by the Eastern Command for the last six months and are being implemented by the Panagarh-based 17 Strike Corps and the Tezpur-based 4 Corps.
According to reports around 5,000 troops of the Indian Army’s only Mountain Strike Corps will carry out a massive war game to practice a real war-like situation on the eastern front of the country.
