NEW DELHI, May 2: Indian army’s ongoing manoeuvres along the border with Pakistan, said to be one of the largest held at any time, has shown that the armed forces are prepared for any eventuality, India’s army chief General J.J. Singh said on Wednesday.

Press Trust of India, reporting from Pallu in Rajasthan, quoted the army chief as saying that his men were ready to tackle not only ‘outside security threats’ but ‘asymmetrical challenges’ like terrorism.

He said that India’s army personnel were given adequate preparation and training to handle any situation. “If we do not modify our strategy to asymmetrical challenges, we will end up like other countries who recently suffered setbacks,” he said, referring to the United States.

The general recently paid an unpublicised visit to Israel.

Gen Singh said the army’s philosophy of “iron fist for terrorists and velvet gloves for people has given us rich dividends”. He said people in troubled regions like Jammu and Kashmir and India’s North-East now want ‘peace and talks’ because the army has ‘moral ascendancy’.

Gen “Singh also highlighted that even with the advent of technology and high-tech gadgetry, the need for adequate number of troops on the ground in troubled or war zones still remains the same”, PTI said.

“You still need people to fill the captured areas or to evict terrorists from areas where they are holed up.” Gen Singh was making a first-hand assessment of the ongoing war games titled ‘Ashwamedha’ in Pallu. He said because of the many new induction of ‘force multipliers’ and technology during the past six years, the army’s effectiveness has increased manifold.

“My message is that the force is very effective as compared to six years ago,” PTI quoted him as saying.

However, another report said the Indian Army appeared to be unimpressed with the indigenously developed Arjun main battle tank (MBT) that has been 34 years in the making.

The inference came from remarks Gen Singh made during the war games conducted in Rajasthan’s Thar desert in which limited numbers of the Arjun tank were seen in action.

“We have to make sure the troops are not exposed to any disadvantage,” Gen Singh replied cryptically when asked about Arjun’s performance during the five-day exercise being held during April 29-May 3. A squadron of 14 Arjuns was deployed during the military exercise.