Indian Army's Corps of Signals Test War Comms in Snowbound Terrain, Train to Keep Orders Flowing in Battlefield

Himachal Pradesh, India – In a zone where the air thins and winds howl with biting sharpness, the Indian Army’s Golden Key Signallers hunkered down for a combat drill that had little to do with bullets and everything to do with bandwidth. Over the past few days, tucked into a remote high-altitude sector of Himachal Pradesh , the men in olive green immersed themselves in a combat communication training camp—establishing digital lifelines that could one day be the difference between mission success and failure.

This was no ordinary signal training. With the lines between tactical advantage and technological superiority growing increasingly blurred, the focus was clear: ensure that in the fog of war, Indian commanders remain connected, informed, and in control. From secure voice grids and encrypted data relays to new-age battlefield software and real-time ISR links, the camp ran a full-spectrum rehearsal of what communication warfare now demands.

Maj Gen Mahajan watches on as Signals Corps tunes its war-fighting frequency.

Major General Naveen Mahajan, who commands the Golden Key Division, flew in to observe the troops in action. Over a cup of steaming chai shared with junior signallers inside a temporary tent command post, the General delivered a crisp verdict—“Motivation sky high. Execution sharper than ever.” He wasn’t exaggerating.

In sub-zero conditions, Signals teams demonstrated how new-generation radios, ruggedised tablets, and satellite uplinks could all talk to each other—under fire, in motion, across miles. The backdrop wasn’t a simulator but the hard-knuckled ridgelines of a sector that shares lineage with past skirmishes. These were not backroom engineers—they were combat troops, living proof of the Army’s shift toward data-driven battlefield cohesion.

From semaphore to cyberspace: A century-old Corps that codes for war

The Corps of Signals has been soldering India's military backbone for over a century. Raised in 1911, it’s come a long way from semaphore flags and telegraphs. Today, it is the Army’s digital pulse. At every level—from platoon outposts to theatre commands—it’s the Signals men who ensure orders flow, satellites beam, and cyber defences hold steady.

Yet the real marvel lies not in the tech, but in the transformation of the signaller himself. In places like the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE) at Mhow and the Signals Training Centres spread across the country, young soldiers are now learning to code, decode, jam, spoof, and secure data packets on the go. In war zones or during floods, when networks collapse, they’re the first to weave them back.

Drills with real-world urgency: Prepping for the wars of tomorrow, not yesterday

The exercise in Himachal wasn’t a showpiece—it was a message. With China tightening its digital and kinetic grip across the Line of Actual Control, and Pakistan experimenting with grey-zone tactics, the Army knows that network superiority may soon outweigh sheer firepower.

That’s where exercises like these come in. Troops tested the new Tactical Communication Systems, linked drones with command terminals in real-time, and trialled live deployment of hardened equipment compatible with both mountainous terrain and cyber resilience. The drill also included simulated electronic jamming scenarios, giving signallers hands-on experience in restoring and hardening broken networks under duress.

Not just wartime warriors—lifelines in peace, too

It’s easy to slot the Signals Corps as a war-only asset. But their utility extends well beyond the battlefield. Whether it’s setting up emergency communication grids during earthquakes, and floods, or even aiding in pandemic relief efforts, these troops often work unseen, laying the digital groundwork for relief coordination. Their role in UN Peacekeeping Missions also remains underappreciated, where stable and secure networks often hold the key to multi-national harmony in high-risk zones.

Notably, the Corps also partners with DRDO and Bharat Electronics Limited on high-profile indigenous projects—none more critical than Samyukta, India’s fully mobile electronic warfare suite that monitors, jams, and counters threats across the spectrum.

As dusk fell over the Himachali slopes and antennas shimmered under the pale moonlight, the training wrapped up without ceremony. That’s the Signallers’ way—no loud bangs or photo ops, just quiet precision in service of battlefield clarity. The exercise may be over, but its imprint will likely echo far louder in operations yet to come.

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