Northern army commander witnesses 'AstraShakti' exercise underway in Ladakh

Leh/Jammu, Oct 30 (PTI) Northern Army Commander, Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, on Thursday witnessed 'Exercise AstraShakti' in the icy heights of the high-altitude areas of the Union Territory of Ladakh, officials said.

The AstraShakti exercise is currently underway as a validation of long-range precision artillery firepower, swarm drones, counter-unmanned aerial surveillance systems, commando operations, and synergy with the ITBP in the icy expanse and high-altitude areas of Ladakh.

"Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, Army Commander Northern Command, witnessed Exercise AstraShakti — a thunderous validation of long-range precision artillery firepower, swarm drones, counter-UAS systems, commando ops, and synergy with the ITBP in the icy expanse and high-altitude areas of Ladakh,” the Northern Command said in a post on X.

The theatre-level integrated firing embodied seamless synergy, surveillance fusion, force preservation, and multi-domain dominance, it added.

"It symbolised the readiness, innovation, and indomitable spirit of the Northern Command, where technology meets tenacity and precision defines deterrence in the world’s toughest battlespace," the army said.

The Northern Command released a 1.43-minute video showcasing ground battlefield exercises with armed toppers, missile batteries, aerial operations, drone battles, mortar firing, field gun firing, and underground operations that rocked the icy heights of Ladakh. PTI AB MPL MPL