Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma visited forward areas along the Sino-Indian border in Ladakh, reviewing operational and defence preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
During the visit, Lt Gen Sharma witnessed “Exercise AstraShakti” in the icy heights of the high-altitude areas of the Union Territory, an exercise officials said symbolised the readiness, innovation and indomitable spirit of Northern Command.
Tangtse Sector Visit
The Army Commander visited forward posts in the Tangtse sector of eastern Ladakh to review operational readiness and defence preparedness in the region. After being briefed on the prevailing security situation and ongoing developments, he complimented the troops for their unwavering commitment, high state of readiness and professional excellence while operating in the region’s challenging terrain and extreme climatic conditions.
A Recurring Focus on Ladakh Readiness
This visit continues a pattern of regular high-altitude reviews by Lt Gen Sharma since taking over Northern Command. He has repeatedly toured forward posts across Ladakh through the year, assessing troop readiness, border management measures and capability enhancement initiatives in one of the world’s most demanding operational environments. On earlier visits, he has inspected the Siachen Brigade and its Ski Node to assess combat potential in glacier conditions, reviewed infrastructure and development projects aimed at improving troop sustainment and mobility in remote areas, and interacted with personnel from both the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police stationed along sensitive frontier sectors.
Across these visits, a consistent theme has emerged: the emphasis on pairing traditional soldiering — discipline, fitness, vigilance — with technological modernisation. Sharma has repeatedly stressed the absorption of niche technologies, induction of next-generation weapons and equipment, and innovative operational procedures as central to keeping formations mission-ready across domains, alongside sustained infrastructure development to support forces operating in some of the harshest conditions faced by any military in the world.
Broader Command Responsibilities
Beyond Ladakh, Lt Gen Sharma has also overseen security coordination in Jammu and Kashmir, including chairing Joint Control Centre meetings in Srinagar with the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF and BSF, focused on real-time intelligence fusion and inter-agency coordination — underlining Northern Command’s dual focus on the high-altitude northern borders and internal security challenges in the Kashmir Valley.