Indian Tri-Services Chiefs Review Joint Operations During Exercise Trishul Aboard INS Vikrant

The tri-services chiefs observed carrier-borne flying operations during their visit to INS Vikrant as part of Exercise Trishul.

Porbandar:

The commanders-in-chief of India's three armed forces boarded the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant to review joint multi-domain operations conducted as part of the comprehensive Exercise Trishul, defense officials reported on Thursday.

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Command; Vice-Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command; and Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South Western Air Command, witnessed a tactical demonstration featuring "carrier-borne flying operations and underway replenishment" Wednesday night, according to a senior official.

Over the past two weeks, the Army, Navy and Indian Air Force have participated in various sub-exercises across regions from the Thar desert to Kutch under the unified framework of tri-service Exercise Trishul. The exercise will conclude with a joint amphibious landing operation off the Saurashtra Coast on Thursday.

The Southern Command of the Indian Army shared updates about Exercise Akhand Prahar on social media, highlighting the integrated combat operations being conducted as part of the broader Exercise Trishul initiative.

The culminating amphibious exercise will showcase beach landing operations by Southern Command's amphibious forces, validating comprehensive land-sea-air integration and demonstrating the armed forces' capability to project power across multiple operational domains with seamless synergy.

Exercise Trishul exemplifies the armed forces' dedication to JAI (jointness, atmanirbharta and innovation) while encompassing diverse operational domains from electronic warfare to counter-drone operations, as stated by the defense ministry.

Gujarat's Porbandar has been prepared for the exercise finale, with rehearsals conducted on Wednesday.

A senior Navy representative confirmed that the three service command chiefs embarked on INS Vikrant specifically to evaluate naval and joint multi-domain operations being executed during Exercise Trishul.

The commanders also observed carrier-based aviation operations and replenishment activities at sea on Wednesday night.

Western Naval Command shared photographs of the three commanders-in-chief aboard INS Vikrant off the Saurashtra Coast via their social media early Thursday.

"The simultaneous presence of the three Commanders-in-Chief on #INSVikrant represents a significant advancement toward unity and integrated functioning among the services, substantially enhancing jointness and interoperability, and enabling integrated effect-based operations in multi-domain environments," the Command stated.

On November 2, the defense ministry announced the commencement of Exercise Trishul with mission-focused validations designed to strengthen integrated readiness across multiple domains, reflecting the armed forces' expanding multi-domain capabilities and focus on self-reliance in defense.

In the Thar desert, Southern Command formations conducted intensive integrated maneuvers through exercises 'MaruJwala' and 'Akhand Prahaar' to validate combined arms operations, mobility, and joint fire integration under realistic conditions.

The Army successfully integrated components from both the IAF and Navy in these operations, officials noted.

A comprehensive joint exercise in the Kutch sector, involving the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and BSF, rehearsed integrated operational capabilities in close coordination with civil administration, exemplifying the military-civil fusion approach to national security integration.

Demonstrating operational excellence and joint preparedness, the IAF conducted exercise MahaGujRaj-25 from October 29 to November 11 in the western sector.

To ensure multi-dimensional operational response utilizing all available assets and infrastructure, IAF fighter aircraft conducted operations from Hirasar international airport in Rajkot. This exercise highlighted the advanced level of civil-military coordination in achieving mission objectives.

Exercise Trishul encompasses electronic warfare, cyber operations, drone and counter-drone capabilities, intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, and air defense control and reporting systems.

The exercise reaffirms tri-service readiness to dominate both virtual and physical battlespace through seamless integration of land, sea, and air assets for coordinated joint fire missions, as previously stated by the defense ministry.