India flexed its military muscles Thursday with the start of Trishul – a 12-day, tri-service military exercise on the Pakistan border, and its first war games since Operation Sindoor six months ago.
Trishul will involve special forces commandos, missile batteries, warships, battle tanks, and attack aircraft, including the Rafale and the Sukhoi Su-30, carrying out simulated offensive strikes into southern Pak, to test the Indian armed forces' readiness in a post-Sindoor scenario.
The exercises will take place across Gujarat and Rajasthan but the focus will likely be on the former, and specifically on the Kutch region, a possible fresh border flashpoint with Pakistan.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh signalled as much earlier this month when he warned Pak against trying to illegally occupy India's half of Sir Creek, which is a narrow and disputed strip of water, less than 100km long in the tidal estuary between Gujarat's Rann of Kutch and Pakistan.
On paper it is the westernmost boundary between the two countries; i.e., the western half of the creek belongs to Pakistan and the eastern to India. Any attempt to claim Indian territory, Rajnath Singh thundered, will be met with a response that will change "history and geography".
NDTV Explains | India-Pak Sir Creek Border Dispute And Its Strategic Importance
The Defence Minister also said Pakistan's recent expansion of military infrastructure in and around the Sir Creek area – bunkers and radars, as well as forward operating bases, or FOBs, capable of launching attack drones or infantry operations against India – has been noted.
In fact, Pak Navy chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf made unannounced visits to forward posts in the Sir Creek belt last week, and reportedly promised to protect "every inch of our maritime borders… from Sir Creek to Jiwani", remarks that put Delhi and Indian defence advisors on alert.
Trishul, NDTV was told, is meant to send a clear message to Pak, that India stands ready to defend its territory and, if necessary, pick up where Op Sindoor left off in May.
Exercise Trishul participants
The Army has sent T-90 battle tanks and BrahMos missile units, as well as Akash missile defence system units that successfully neutralised Pakistan's projectile barrage during Sindoor.
The Army's feared T-90 battle tank (File).
The indigenously designed and manufactured Prachand attack helicopter has also been sent.
The Air Force has deployed its premier fighter jets – the French-made Rafale and the Russian Sukhoi Su-30, as well as Sea Guardian and Heron drones. And the Navy has sent Kolkata-class destroyers and Nilgiri-class frigates, as well as an assortment of fast-attack assets.
The Rafale fighters, which saw action in Op Sindoor, will take part in Exercise Trishul (File).
Trishul will also see boots on the ground, including the Para SF – special forces battalions of the Army's Parachute Regiment – and the Navy's Marine Commandos, or MARCOS, an elite unit that can operate on land and sea, and specialise in amphibious warfare and counter-terrorism.
The Kolkata-class destroyers are stealth warships with guided missiles (File).
The Air Force's commando unit, Garud, will also be in action.
Pak shuts airspace
Meanwhile, in response to Exercise Trishul, Islamabad has shut multiple sectors of its airspace.
On Saturday Pak aviation authorities issued a NOTAM, or notice to airmen, restricting access to several air traffic routes in its central and southern airspaces for 48 hours starting this morning.
However, clearly rattled by the scale of Exercise Trishul, that NOTAM was expanded hours before the games were to start. Now they cover most of Pak airspace.
This was in response to a NOTAM by India restricting its airspace – up to a ceiling of 28,000 feet – from midnight Thursday (October 30) to 11.59 pm Monday (November 10).
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