Exercise Trishul sets new benchmark, forces go back much stronger: Top commanders

Porbandar, Nov 13 (PTI) Tri-services' Exercise Trishul has set new benchmarks in jointness and interoperability and "we go back much stronger out of it", top Indian military commanders said on Thursday.

The nearly two-week-long exercise that culminated with a joint amphibious exercise -- Amphex 2025 -- was the largest tri-services exercise conducted after Operation Sindoor.

Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command; Vice-Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command; and Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command, witnessed the exercise.

The top commanders also interacted with the media before the exercise commenced on Madhavpur Beach off the Saurashtra Coast in Gujarat's Porbandar.

Asked if Exercise Trishul was a fallout of Operation Sindoor conducted by the armed forces in May, and whether there was any strategic messaging in it, Air Marshal Kapoor said "no" to both the queries.

"This has been a continuous process, a regular exercise. To give or not to give a strategic message was not our aim. Our aim was to refine our protocols and procedures, and field new technology. So, it was not a fall-out of Operation Sindoor, and there was no strategic messaging (in it)," he said.

Air Marshal Kapoor also shared that the exercise brought to the table "our warfare capabilities", saying the IAF has flown "approximately 1,450 sorties during this exercise".

"We analyse the results to ensure our tactics become more refined in the next exercise. Various new equipment have been fielded during the exercise... I can confidently say that our troops are ready to come out stronger, and I have no doubt about that," the officer said.

From Thar desert to Kutch, the Army, Navy and the Air Force took part in a series of sub-exercises for the last two weeks, under the overarching framework of Exercise Trishul.

Lt Gen Seth said the exercise has set a new benchmark in jointness, integration and interoperability.

"During Exercise Trishul, the kind of jointness, integration and interoperability we have established is a new symbol. It has been very effective, and we have set a new benchmark," the army commander said.

New weapons, military equipment and procedures were tested, he told reporters here, adding that indigenous equipment were also tested in the exercise.

The Southern Command GOC-in-C said for last three months, his troops were training for this exercise.

Talking of innovation, the new organisations raised, such as the Rudra brigade, have been "operation validated" in this exercise, he said.

The officer said "some new aspects" have come out of this exercise, and "we will examine them now".

"We are ready to face all challenges (in future)," the GOC-in-C of the Southern Command said.

Desert corps and strike corps prepared for this exercise for the last three months, he added.

Vice Admiral Swaminathan said that about 30,000 Army troops, multiple fighter aircraft, and nearly 25 ships and submarines of the Navy took part in the exercise.

"We practised battle manoeuvres, including with a Carrier Battle Group. Aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was part of it," he said.

"We go back much stronger from Exercise Trishul," the chief of Western Naval Command said.

Reflecting tri-services synergy, the three top commanders on Wednesday boarded INS Vikrant and reviewed a joint multi-domain operation conducted as part of Exercise Trishul.

The naval officer told reporters, "We carry very valuable lessons both in jointness and in operation in north Arabian Sea from this exercise." "And, we are ready to take on any challenge that we or the nation might face in the maritime domain," the vice-admiral asserted.

To a query on the use of amphibious operations in future, he said, where and when "we apply this amphibious operation will be a matter of decision that we will have to take depending on how the operations go".

Amphibious capabilities give armed forces a potential to impact any kind of battle operations. But, it is important for the forces to maintain these capabilities, he underlined.

"We need to maintain a high-level of operation capabilities," he said.

Lt Gen Seth said as far as Indian Army is concerned, in Southern Command, there is an amphibious brigade, and there are around 4,000 soldiers at any time, whether the unit changes or there is a turnover.

"This year, our troops have taken part in six amphibious exercises, not just with our Navy, but also with those of various friendly foreign countries," he added. PTI KND ARI