Which one of the following statements is most appropriate about ‘Exercise Kavach’?

Correct — D, a joint exercise involving the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force and also the Indian Coast Guard. Exercise Kavach (early 2021) was a large-scale integrated exercise conducted under the Andaman and Nicobar Command — India's only unified tri-service theatre command — and it drew in all three services plus the Indian Coast Guard. Because the Coast Guard also took part, the fullest and correct description is option (d), not the tri-service-only option (c).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  It is a military exercise of the Indian Army only — Kavach was a joint, multi-service exercise, not a single-service Army drill.
• (b)
  It is a joint military exercise involving the Indian Army and the Indian Navy only — It also involved the Indian Air Force and the Coast Guard, so 'Army and Navy only' understates its scope.
• (c)
  It is a joint military exercise involving the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force only — Close, but incomplete — the Indian Coast Guard also participated, so restricting it to the three services misses the Coast Guard.

The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), set up in 2001 at Port Blair, is India's first and only tri-service theatre command. Exercise Kavach was held under it to test joint war-fighting and maritime-security coordination across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Key facts

• Exercise Kavach (2021) was conducted under the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
• It involved the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard.
• The ANC (Port Blair, established 2001) is India's only tri-service theatre command.
• Kavach tested joint operations and maritime-domain awareness in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Common traps

• Choosing 'Army, Navy and Air Force only' and forgetting the Coast Guard.
• Assuming Kavach is a single-service exercise.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  India's only tri-service theatre command is the

  • (a)Western Command
  • (b)Andaman and Nicobar Command
  • (c)Strategic Forces Command
  • (d)Southern Command
  Answer(b) Andaman and Nicobar Command — headquartered at Port Blair.
• practice — not a real PYQ

  Exercise Kavach (2021) was primarily aimed at testing

  • (a)disaster relief in the Himalayas
  • (b)joint operations and maritime security in the Andaman and Nicobar islands
  • (c)anti-terror drills in Punjab
  • (d)desert warfare in Rajasthan
  Answer(b) joint operations and maritime security in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.