Army-ITBP joint exercise to familiarise non-artillery personnel with artillery procedures

The Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police conducted a joint training exercise at Sigar in East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh, enhancing inter-force combat synergy and operational integration.

The six-day intensive exercise, Agni Pariksha, was held from January 19 to 24, focused on strengthening jointmanship between the forces, Defence Spokesperson Lt Col Mahendra Rawat said on Sunday.

Spearhead gunners under Spear Corps carried out the training alongside personnel from infantry regiments and the ITBP, making it a first-of-its-kind collaborative firepower training initiative, he said.


The primary objective of the exercise was to familiarise non-artillery personnel with artillery procedures, coordination mechanisms and the execution of firing missions, he added.

During the training, infantry and ITBP personnel were systematically trained to independently conduct multiple artillery firing drills under the close supervision of experienced gunners.

By exposing non-artillery personnel to realistic artillery employment, the exercise aimed at breaking traditional role silos and improving understanding of firepower integration in dynamic combat scenarios.

This approach significantly enhanced mutual trust, coordination and operational responsiveness among the participating forces, the spokesperson said.

This was the first phase of the exercise, and is being seen as a pioneering initiative towards developing integrated combat capabilities required for future battlefields.