India’s drive towards deeper tri-service integration is set to take another step forward this month as the armed forces prepare to stage a high-altitude exercise in Arunachal Pradesh’s remote Mechuka valley, a frontier region that has long shaped the country’s defence posture along the Line of Actual Control.
The upcoming drill, titled Poorvi Prachand Prahar, will bring together the Army, Navy and Air Force for what officials describe as a forward-looking test of joint warfighting capabilities, technology adaptation and operational cohesion. The Defence Ministry announced the exercise on Saturday, with Defence PRO Lt Col Mahendra Rawat outlining its objectives and scope.
Rawat said the exercise “will validate multi-domain integration across land, air and maritime fronts, reflecting the Indian Armed Forces' evolving readiness for future conflicts.” The choice of Mechuka, a rugged, strategically sensitive corridor in Shi-Yomi district, spotlights the military’s renewed emphasis on joint preparedness in the eastern sector, where infrastructure upgrades and operational mobility have expanded significantly over the past decade.
The drill will focus on refining interoperability, enhancing situational awareness and strengthening command-and-control mechanisms suited to complex, multi-domain operations. Rawat noted that the highlight would be “the coordinated employment of special forces, unmanned platforms, precision systems and networked operations centres operating in unison under realistic high-altitude conditions.”
Also read: UAE Land Forces Commander meets Indian Army Chief
India’s push to modernise combat readiness has accelerated in recent years, partly shaped by lessons from the 2020 Ladakh standoff and the global shift towards network-centric warfare. Tri-service structures such as theatre commands, still under deliberation, are expected to rely on precisely the sort of integrated capabilities that exercises like Poorvi Prachand Prahar seek to test.
Officials said revised tactics, techniques and procedures will be assessed under the demanding terrain and weather conditions of Mechuka, a region where forward logistics, rapid deployment and synchronised communication lines remain crucial.
The latest drill builds on a series of exercises conducted as part of India’s broader jointness agenda. Bhala Prahar in 2023 and Poorvi Prahar in 2024 were seen as important preparatory milestones, familiarising formations across the three services with joint operational planning and multi-domain decision-making. Rawat said the new edition “marks the next milestone in India's tri-service integration effort.”
Defence planners view these exercises as central to strengthening deterrence across the eastern frontier, where the operational environment demands seamless coordination between ground forces, air assets and maritime-linked surveillance networks. With unmanned systems, precision-guided platforms and real-time intelligence increasingly shaping modern battlefields, the armed forces see integrated drills as vital to maintaining an edge.
The Defence PRO added that Poorvi Prachand Prahar “reinforces the Armed Forces' collective resolve to maintain mission readiness and joint operational effectiveness in the defence of the nation.”
Follow us
