New Delhi [India]: India recently conducted a tri-services war game exercise, codenamed ‘Haldi Ghati’, between April 18–21 to strengthen interoperability and establish seamless communication channels among the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force.
According to defence sources cited by ANI, the exercise was aimed at ensuring smooth communication flow across all three services to eliminate communication barriers during joint operations.
Simultaneously, the Indian Navy was executing its major theatre-level readiness drill ‘Tropex’ in the Arabian Sea, involving nearly all major warships of the fleet.
Following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, the Department of Military Affairs, under the leadership of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan, swiftly acted on the lessons derived from the Haldi Ghati exercise.
“The officials concerned carried out the trials successfully to enable a seamless communication between all three forces,” sources confirmed.
The intervening period before the real-time Indian counter-operation on May 7 was utilized to fine-tune joint communication protocols and readiness.
Additionally, Joint Air Defence Centres were established in forward areas along the India-Pakistan border, integrating air defence weapon systems and command-and-control networks of the armed forces.
This unified air defence infrastructure played a crucial role in thwarting drone attacks launched by the Pakistan Army on May 7, 8, and 9.
Sources emphasized that the real-time situational awareness enabled by this joint communication network greatly enhanced decision-making for force commanders at headquarters in Delhi.
Moreover, the Tropex exercise proved invaluable in rapidly positioning Indian Navy assets throughout the Arabian Sea. The Navy’s forward deployment of frontline warships reportedly forced the Pakistan Navy to restrict its assets closer to the Makran coast, sources added.
“The Indian Navy had all its frontline warships in the forward locations and was ready to get into action,” a source confirmed.