Indian Army undertakes war games to deal with a nuclear attack

Jaisalmer: A strike formation of the Army on Thursday undertook drills to counter any tactical nuclear attack on its mechanised unit, as part of the war games being conducted in deserts of Rajasthan.

The simulation came as about 30,000 soldiers took part in a major exercise 'Shatrujeet', led by the elite Mathura-based Strike Corp, in desert area of Mahajan firing range where it is honing its skills to counter Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) warfare among others.

The aim of CBRN simulation was to validate the army's response in case its faces a tactical nuclear attack.

"Our policy has been always that we will never use nuclear weapons first. But if we are attacked, we need to gather ourselves and fight through it. The simulation is about doing exactly that," an Army source said.

The aim is to practise the capability to strike deep into the enemy territory in an integrated air-land battle environment.

The exercise is in the last phase and next week on April 22, Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag is likely to visit to review the exercise.

As part of its training and operational preparedness, various drills involved in CBRN warfare were practiced by the troops including use of Individual Protective Equipment (IPE) and fighting in a CBRN contaminated area.

Troops underwent simulations of chemical and nuclear attacks and practiced measures to mitigate effect on persons and operations.

A tactical nuclear attack was also simulated on one of its mechanised formations spearheading the attack, the sources said.