RAS question
The 'Vayu Samanvay-II' exercise conducted in October 2025 in Rajasthan's Desert Sector was organised under which Command of the Indian Army?
Correct answer: (C) Southern Command.
The VAYU SAMANVAY-II drone and counter-drone exercise held in Rajasthan's Desert Sector from 28 to 29 October 2025 was conducted under the aegis of the Indian Army's Southern Command.
Explanation
VAYU SAMANVAY-II was a large-scale Indian Army drone and counter-drone exercise conducted from 28 to 29 October 2025 in the forward areas of the Desert Sector. The PIB release places it expressly under the aegis of Southern Command, which makes Southern Command the required answer. The exercise tested preparedness for next-generation warfare by integrating aerial and ground assets with multi-domain command-and-control centres in a realistic electronic-warfare and contested operational environment. It also focused on doctrinal precepts for drone and counter-drone operations, response capability against evolving aerial threats, and interoperability between different arms of the Indian Army in sensitive frontier regions.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Northern Command is wrong because the PIB release attributes VAYU SAMANVAY-II to Southern Command, not Northern Command.
- (B) Western Command is wrong because the official release identifies Southern Command as the command under whose aegis the exercise was conducted.
- (D) Central Command is wrong because the cited PIB account links the Desert Sector exercise to Southern Command and gives no role to Central Command.
Concept
This tests the RAS linkage between Rajasthan's frontier geography and defence exercises held in the Desert Sector. Such questions recur because command responsibility, exercise location, and emerging warfare themes often appear in Rajasthan current-affairs MCQs.