The Indian Army's Northern Command wrapped up a four-day high-intensity simulation exercise named "Vidyut Vidhwans" on October 16, 2025, under the aegis of its headquarters in Udhampur, demonstrating integrated multi-domain warfare capabilities against futuristic threats. The exercise, conducted from October 13 to 16, involved substantial deployments from the Army and Indian Air Force, with complementary participation from the Indian Navy at select strategic locations, alongside Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Jammu and Kashmir Police, and private sector innovators. This tri-services endeavour challenged commanders, staff, and troops across cyber, space, electromagnetic, and cognitive domains, yielding new operational lessons, enhanced reflexes, and benchmarks for India's readiness in next-generation conflicts, as per an official Army statement.

The drill emphasised a "whole-of-nation" approach, integrating sister services, central government agencies, and indigenous defence industry players to foster jointness, self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat), and innovation. CAPFs such as the Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Assam Rifles—deployed in Jammu for counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism (CI/CT) tasks—collaborated seamlessly. I

ndigenous firms showcased cutting-edge technologies, including AI-driven surveillance and drone swarms, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a $25 billion defence manufacturing ecosystem by 2025. This participation not only validated homegrown solutions but also addressed supply chain vulnerabilities exposed during the 2020 Galwan clash, where import dependencies delayed responses. The exercise simulated scenarios like hybrid warfare along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LoC), incorporating electromagnetic spectrum dominance to counter adversarial jamming tactics.

Northern Command, responsible for India's borders with Pakistan (3,323 km total, including 2,400 km of international border, 740 km of LoC, and 110 km of Actual Ground Position Line in Siachen) and China (3,488 km undemarcated), operates in one of the world's most volatile theatres. Sensitive flashpoints like Kargil, Siachen, and Eastern Ladakh remain tense, with over 50,000 troops deployed since the May 2020 standoff that claimed 20 Indian lives in Galwan Valley.

Recent disengagements in Depsang and Demchok notwithstanding, satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies in September 2025 revealed ongoing Chinese infrastructure buildup, including 16 new helipads near the LAC. The command's mandate spans traditional threats—border skirmishes and CI/CT operations in Jammu and Kashmir—to emerging domains, where cyber intrusions from state actors like Pakistan's ISI have spiked 40% year-on-year, per the National Cyber Coordination Centre. "Vidyut Vidhwans" thus reinforces deterrence, with participants honing responses to synchronised attacks blending physical incursions and digital disruptions.

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As India marks the fifth anniversary of the Galwan incident amid Diwali preparations, the exercise underscores the military's evolution toward theatre-level integration, as mandated by Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Anil Chauhan's reforms. Outcomes will feed into broader war-gaming for the 2027 military theatre commands, potentially involving hypersonic missile defences and quantum-secure communications.

While the Army hailed the event as a "force multiplier", analysts note the need for sustained funding—Northern Command's budget rose 15% to Rs 45,000 crore in FY25—to counter China's $230 billion defence spend. With global eyes on South Asia's fault lines, "Vidyut Vidhwans" reaffirms India's proactive stance, blending legacy valour with futuristic foresight to safeguard sovereignty in an era of grey-zone warfare.

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