'Poorvi Prachand Prahar': India's 1st tri-service exercise near China border
What's the story
The Indian Armed Forces are gearing up for a major tri-service military exercise, "Poorvi Prachand Prahar," in Arunachal Pradesh from November 11 to 15. The five-day drill will be held in Mechuka, close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which demarcates the border between India and China. It aims to test India's integrated combat readiness and validate its 'theatre command' concept by bringing together the Army, Navy, and Air Force into unified combat structures.
Exercise details
Exercise to validate India's integrated combat readiness
Defence PRO Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said the exercise will involve "coordinated employment of special forces, unmanned platforms, precision systems, and networked operations centers operating in unison under realistic high-altitude conditions." This drill is part of India's strategy to create a fully integrated tri-service command structure. It focuses on multi-domain integration, tech-driven combat, and tactical agility.
Strategic significance
Exercise fine-tunes response mechanisms, tests integrated logistics chains
"Poorvi Prachand Prahar" is strategically timed as India boosts surveillance and mobility near the LAC after recent standoffs. The exercise will fine-tune response mechanisms and test integrated logistics chains at high altitude, vital for future border contingencies with China. Meanwhile, Pakistan has issued NAVAREA and NOTAM warnings for firing drills in the Arabian Sea, partly overlapping with India's Trishul exercise.
Exercise sequence
Poorvi Prachand Prahar follows other joint exercises
"Poorvi Prachand Prahar" follows other joint exercises like Bhala Prahar (2023). These drills are part of India's journey toward a fully integrated tri-service command structure. The latest edition focuses on multi-domain integration, tech-driven combat, and tactical agility. Defense analysts see it as a clear eastern counterpart to Exercise Trishul, which was conducted along the Rajasthan and Gujarat borders.