MiG 21: Ready to blaze the Bagrakote skies

Siliguri, March 1: Come Friday morning and Bagrakote and its nearby areas will be reverberating with the sound of heavy gunfire.

It is not the threat of an outbreak of war or a major operation to quell extremist forces. For the first time in the region, the Indian Army is joining hands with the Indian Air Force in what promises to be an awesome display of firepower.

A joint exercise has been planned at the Teesta Field Firing Range, about 5 km east of Bagrakote near Shaugaon village. An array of heavy weaponry will be fired live at specially made decoy targets.

?The weapons systems of the infantry, artillery and the air force will be used during the display, which is expected to last about 90 minutes,? said Brigadier Anil Kumar, corps commander (artillery) of Trishakti Corps. ?The people here have had a chance to see the Bofors guns (during Army Day exhibitions). Now they can be seen in live action.?

Along with Bofors there will be 105-mm field guns, T-72 tanks and MiG 21s of the IAF. The visitors will be shown how the advance teams identify an enemy target and guide the firepower of the guns, tanks and aircraft to it.

The exercise is another bid by the defence services to ?open up? with the residents. Similar displays have been held in other sectors, including Pokhran in Rajasthan.

?We shall display armoured cars, the infantry combat vehicle, the types of shells that can be used, including smoke screens, as well as the simulated use of night vision equipment,? the Brigadier said.

The range, lying between the Lish and Gish rivers, is used by the army for practice. But with the IAF involved this time, a bigger ?plough area? has had to be prepared as the fighter aircraft would need a run up to the targets.

?The police have been informed to clear the area of villagers between 9 am and 5 pm on that day,? Kumar said.

A host of who?s who among the civilians is being invited to the show. Senior administrative officials, central government officials, vice-chancellors and educationists, civic authorities and other personalities are expected to be there, keeping their eyes open and ears shut, for the row will be as deafening as it would be memorable.