New Delhi, Feb 7 : A major war games exercise at Pokhran is expected to be witnessed by Western observers and diplomats.

The exercise in which land forces, armour and the air force would participate is scheduled to begin on March 19 at Pokhran, according to Indian Air Force (IAF) spokesman.

The spokesman was quoted by a foreign news agency as telling that foreign dignitaries and defence attaches from "friendly countries will witness the exercise."

Army's frontline T-90 tanks acquired from Russia, SMERCH long-range rocket missiles, spy drones and latest Air Defence Gun and missile systems would be in action during the war games.

The IAF, which will interdict with rapid ground assaults, would press into action its frontline Sukhoi-30's, Mig-27 and upgraded Mig-21 in the war games.

"The exercises are aimed at putting the mechanized formations through the paces in simulated deep offensive scenario in a desert terrain," a defence ministry official had earlier said.

The war games have been conceptualised for exercising combat groups comprising tanks, infantry combat vehicles and infantry in high mobility vehicles supported by air by fighters and complemented by deep strike weapons system platforms.

ANI