The Indian Army will test its offensive warfare capability along the disputed Himalayan boundary for the first time by deploying its newly raised Mountain Strike Corps for a massive war game, Him Vijay, in Arunachal Pradesh at heights of over 10,000 feet in October.

This will be the first time that elements of the Mountain Strike Corps (No. 17 Corps) will be deployed in war-like exercise.

about 15,000 troops will be involved in the exercise. Troops from the Tezpur (Assam)-based 4 Corps will be deployed in defensive positions in the simulated war zone while an estimated 5,000 troops from 59 Mountain Division - an element of 17 Corps - will be airlifted to test the capability to make rapid invasive thrusts across mountainous boundaries

While the Army is tightlipped, reports indicate that about 15,000 troops will be involved in the exercise. Troops from the Tezpur (Assam)-based 4 Corps will be deployed in defensive positions in the simulated war zone while an estimated 5,000 troops from 59 Mountain Division - an element of 17 Corps - will be airlifted to test the capability to make rapid invasive thrusts across mountainous boundaries.

Airbases in the North-East will be used for the massive airlift of troops and war waging equipment, including artillery, tanks and armoured vehicles. All major airlift assets, including the C-17s, C-130Js, AN-32s and the newly-inducted Chinooks will be pressed into the exercise.

Airbases in the North-East will be used for the massive airlift of troops and war waging equipment, including artillery, tanks and armoured vehicles. All major airlift assets, including the C-17s, C-130Js, AN-32s and the newly-inducted Chinooks will be pressed into the exercise

Reports also suggest that the exercise Him Vijay will test bed the Integrated Battle Group concept which is at the heart of a restructuring exercise in the Army. The IBG concept vests integral artillery, armour, mobility, communications and combat engineer elements into division-sized formations. The purpose of the IBG is to ensure quick and effective military response or offensive without incurring the delays on account of varied combat elements under different formations getting together.

One division each under under 17 Corps, 33 Corps and 9 Corps are being initially converted into IBGs, it has been reported. Both the 33 and 17 Corps are tasked for operations along the Chinese frontier.

On account of India's disputed boundaries mostly lying along the mountains, it's military build-up and modernisation is mainly aimed at strengthening capability to fight wars in the mountains.