The Navy’s largest war game, the biennial Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX-21), with the participation of all its operational units as well as those of the Army, Air Force and the Coast Guard has completed the weapon work-up phase and the tactical scenario phase was under way, the Navy said on Wednesday.
“The weapon work-up phase of TROPEX, which concluded recently, witnessed multiple ‘on-target’ ordnance deliveries, including missiles, torpedoes and rockets from front line warships, aircraft and submarines and demonstrated the lethal firepower of the Navy and reaffirmed its capability to carry out long- range maritime strikes in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), a capability that is central to meeting the operational challenges and ensuring safe seas and secure coasts,” a Navy statement said.
The exercise that began early January will culminate in February third week.
The Navy said the exercise, being conducted over a “vast geographical expanse in the IOR, including its adjunct waters”, was aimed at testing the combat readiness in a complex multi-dimensional scenario set in the context of the current “geostrategic environment”.
“The theatre level exercise also aims to validate Navy’s offensive-defence capabilities, safeguard national interests in the maritime domain and promote stability and peace in the IOR,” it stated.
In the first phase, the Navy conducted ‘Sea Vigil’ along the entire coastline and island territories of the nation on January 12 and 13, to “validate the coastal defence set-up of the country”, which was entirely revamped after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. It witnessed the participation of all stakeholders in coastal security.
This was followed by a large-scale tri-Service joint amphibious exercise, AMPHEX-21, which was conducted in the Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands from January 21 to 25. It was aimed at validating the capabilities to safeguard the territorial integrity of the nation’s island territories and enhance operational synergy and joint warfighting capabilities amongst the three Services, the Navy added.
