E-Paper
Southern Command holds multi-agency exercise to boost civil-military coordination
A key highlight of the programme was a high-level tabletop exercise held at the Southern Command headquarters in Pune, which focused on assessing multi-domain threats in the hinterland
The Southern Command of the Indian Army has conducted a series of multi-agency exercises across several states as part of its Military Civil Fusion Abhiyan, aimed at strengthening coordination between the armed forces and civilian agencies to deal with emerging security challenges.
The initiative, held across Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and southern states, brought together stakeholders including central armed police forces, state police, civil administration, disaster response agencies, civil aviation bodies, academic institutions and industry partners.
According to a release from Southern Command on Friday, the exercise was aimed at “improving coordination, sharing information and building a unified response mechanism” to handle complex threats ranging from internal security to disaster situations.
A key highlight of the programme was a high-level tabletop exercise held at the Southern Command headquarters in Pune, which focused on assessing multi-domain threats in the hinterland. The exercise was presided over by Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, and attended by senior officials from the Maharashtra government, railway authorities and various security agencies.
In Pune, a separate field-level exercise was conducted at Aundh Military Station, where the Army, police, civil administration, disaster response teams and National Cadet Corps (NCC) worked together to test coordinated response systems and standard operating procedures.
Similar engagements were held in other locations. A counter-drone seminar in Bhopal focused on emerging aerial threats and involved participation from civil aviation stakeholders and the Airports Authority of India. In Babina, joint activities involving the Army, police, forest and mining departments included surveillance operations, joint patrolling and outreach in nearby villages.
In Chennai, a security conference at the Victory War Memorial brought together senior officials from the armed forces and state agencies to deliberate on internal security and crisis response. Additional engagements in Belagavi, Hyderabad, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer focused on training, preparedness and information sharing in strategically important regions.
