In yet another break from the tradition of keeping military affairs under wraps, Army and Air Force will showcase strides made by them in conventional warfare in a major weeklong exercise in Rajasthan next month when foreign diplomats would be invited.
"This would be the biggest war games to be conducted by the armed forces since Operation Desert Strike in 2004-05," a defence ministry official said and, apparently keeping in view its close proximity to Pakistan, "Islamabad has been kept informed" about the event.
Army's frontline T-90 tanks acquired from Russia, SMERCH long-range rocket missiles, spy drones and latest Air Defence Gun and missile systems would be in action.
The IAF, which will interdict with rapid ground assaults, would press into action its frontline Sukhoi-30's, Mig-27 and upgraded Mig-21 bisons in the war games.
As part of the manouvres in the Pokhran range involving divisional and brigade force levels, the Indian armed forces would on March 19 hold a special 'Fire and Maneuver' display for a large number of foreign dignitaries and defence attaches of 'friendly' countries.
A strong Chinese military observer group will be witnessing the exercises in another signal of growing proximity in military-to-military relations between the two countries.
"The exercises are aimed at putting the mechanized formations through the paces in simulated deep offensive scenario in a desert terrain," a defence ministry official said.
The combat exercises will also include the deployment of a Comprehensive Communication and Data linking system incorporating mobile battlefield surveillance system and force multiplier command posts.
It plans to size up grasp of military commands on rapid pre-emptive thrusts to cause disruption and dislocation of enemy's command control systems, a top army official said.
The war games have been conceptualised for exercising combat groups comprising tanks, infantry combat vehicles and infantry in high mobility vehicles supported by air by fighters and complemented by deep strike weapons system platforms, Commanders said.