Plan to create close-to-real battlefield situation for army

NEW DELHI: Seeking to provide a close-to-real battlefield situation for its troops to train, the Indian Army is working on a Rs 40-crore plan towards modernising infrastructure at two of its main field firing ranges in Pokharan in Rajasthan and Babina in Madhya Pradesh.

"Under the plan, we are looking to develop the firing ranges into world class integrated training fields for our troops", Army officials said here.

The modernisation of the two firing ranges would be a follow-up of the upgradation of infrastructure at the Army's biggest firing range in Mahajan in Rajasthan.

The upgradation of infrastructure at the ranges would make the training there more realistic and provide a "close-to-real battlefield scenario for troops" while practising war-fighting there, they said.

The ranges would also be provided with short and long-range firing ranges and also strengthen the road and other infrastructure there.

The Army has 66 field firing ranges at the moment which is having an impact on its capability to train its soldiers and practice live firing of weapon systems.

Recently, Defence Minister A K Antony had said that out of the 104 firing ranges held by the Army in 2009, "38 were deleted from the list due to their not being available for use by the Army and also not being re-notified by state governments concerned in spite of relentless efforts".

Out of the remaining 66 firing ranges of the Army, 15 are currently de-notified by various state governments, he had said.