It was meant to showcase India’s military might to observers from over 60 countries, but “Brazen Chariots”—a joint Army-Air Force war game exercise conducted at the Pokharan firing ranges on Wednesday—turned into a tragedy after three soldiers died in a firing accident during the event.While details were still sketchy, the mishap took place apparently at around 2 pm during “final assault” stage of the war game, when barrel of a 120 mm mortar exploded in live firing. Two havaldars and a gunner, who were manning the light artillery system, were killed on the spot, while two others supervising the firing, were seriously injured. Over 100 foreign observers and top military brass including Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor were present at the time of the incident. While a court of inquiry has been instituted into the matter, initial reports said the accident might have occurred due to faulty ammunition. The Army sources said the particular batch of ammunition has been segregated for inspection.Exercise Brazen Chariots a racy, high-tech drill simulating a joint strike and invasion of a strategic town deep in enemy’s territory was conducted to validate India’s “air land battle doctrine”. While both the Army and Air Force have been conducting several military exercises to test their newest acquisitions, Brazen Chariots was the biggest joint war game in recent times and India had invited observers from over 60 countries including China, Israel, the US and the UK to witness the show that concluded on Wednesday.The exercise was showcasing a simulated thrust by an armoured and mechanised infantry division, consisting of T 90 tanks and BMP II troop carriers, to an enemy stronghold with the support of artillery fire. The accident occurred in second part of the exercise during which “enemy positions” were being pulverised by mortar fire and heavy 155 mm Bofors artillery guns after an air raid by SU-30 MKI, the MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighters. While the war game planners came to know about the incident immediately, the exercise was allowed to go on unhindered. Earlier, the foreign observers were taken for a 20 km drive through the ‘battlefield’ in specially modified high-mobility vehicles. Along the way, the observers witnessed live firing by SMERCH rocket launchers and Bofors, besides aerial insertion of troops and equipment.Brazen Chariots was a short demonstration of the armed force’s air-land doctrine that is based on rapid deployment and swift maneuvering to “disrupt and delay” enemy’s response to an attack through the use of air power. Despite the fact that the war game was conducted barely 75 km from the Indo-Pak border, Pakistan was not invited to the show. The Army insisted that the exercise, though aimed at proving Indian military capabilities, was not directed against anyone in particular. “It is not aimed at anyone, nor are we trying to send out a message. The aim was to try out our modern weapons and their efficacy, and demonstrate the synergy that exists between us and the Air Force,” Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor said.
