Indo-China tensions: How ready is the Indian Army for the cold weather on the border?

 

For more than three months now, Indian and Chinese troops have been facing each other in Ladakh. While talks are underway between the two countries, the deployment of more troops and preparations for the coming days are putting the Indian Army under tremendous pressure.

An Indian Army official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Indian Army had decided that "security personnel sent to the area to strengthen its presence will not be recalled for the time being." In other words, the troops will now remain in the area in the winter, and this shows the seriousness of the current situation.  With the onset of summer every year in Ladakh, snow removal from the roads begins. During this time, the work of providing essential supplies to the troops for the winter begins, as the roads here are closed in the winter and it becomes difficult to deliver supplies to the troops. It is common for anyone traveling to Ladakh by road in the summer to see long and one-way military convoys.  In winter, on the way to Ladakh from Rohtang Pass via Manali via Jozilla Pass in Srinagar, a blanket of snow remains frozen. From here, rations, fuel, weapons, ammunition and clothing are delivered to the troops stationed in remote areas and on the front lines of the Line of Actual Control, Siachen and Actual Ground positions.  The Line of Actual Control between India and China usually does not have as many troops as the LOC. Also, the LAC does not have barbed wire fences or other arrangements such as floodlights.  There is a 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control between India and China, which runs from Ladakh through the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh.  There are wide and long and wide open border areas on this border which are monitored by the forces of both the countries through patrols and technology. Things have gotten worse these days.  Retired Lieutenant General DS Hooda, a former commander of the Indian Army's Northern Command at Udhampur, said: Will No such operation has taken place in northern Ladakh before. And that's what makes it extraordinary. "  "Usually at the beginning of the financial year, the army starts supplying supplies so that stocks can be accumulated till the cold season," he said. This includes placing clothes, ration contracts, ordering goods, transporting and delivering goods to checkpoints by November.

"For the 80,000 troops of the 14th Corps stationed in Ladakh, the work is going at a brisk pace, but now we have more troops there," Hooda said. They have to do things like awarding contracts and transportation from the beginning and there is little time left for all this. That is, all these works by road should be completed by November. After that, the goods will have to be delivered by air.

Military officials say the issue is no longer limited to northern Ladakh. The whole area of ​​LAC is tense. We wanted to know how the work of the troops in Ladakh would be different this time. Former Deputy Chief of the Indian Army Lieutenant General SK Patial has been the Commander of the 14th Corps based in Layyah.  "During peace, let's say a small number of soldiers or an army company (about 100 soldiers) are deployed near the LAC," he said. During the recent tensions, the troops will be closer to the LAC and will have to go there with their equipment. Engineers, communications specialists and medical corps will all have to go with them.

Patial said that in addition to getting the goods there, it was also important that they be kept in a safe place in a new place. This is a great job. It is also an important question whether India is planning to attack China with such a large number of troops.  The Indian Army has so far remained silent on the deployment of such a large number of troops. However, experts say it should be understood that India is doing so for its own protection and not to prepare for an attack on China.

"It is very cold in Ladakh," says Patian. The temperature drops to minus 40 degrees Celsius and the ice freezes up to 40 feet. We have to understand that it is usually difficult to patrol in such situations. Clearly, this will not be the time when India wants to go to war.  "The Indian Army is trying to keep itself more prepared than usual, so more troops have been sent there so that immediate action can be taken if needed," he said.  General Hooda also agrees. "The deployment is being made to prevent the enemy from entering its territory," he said. I think China still has a big army in front of us.  The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has been set up to monitor the border and is stationed near the LAC all year round in such tense situations. Javier Chaudhry, a former ITBP IG with nearly four decades of deployment experience in the area, says it is going to be extremely difficult for a large number of troops to provide the supplies they need. It will cost a lot more. But it is like a duty and difficulties will not stop anyone. Despite all the difficulties, we have to succeed. " Retired Lt. Gen. Sanjay Kalkarni, who has served as the Chief of Staff of the Army's 14th Corps, emphasizes another point.  "Tensions between the troops of both India and China often arise during patrols on the LAC," he said. In the past, when this happened, the issue was resolved immediately. But now things have changed. Whatever happens now, both sides will understand that the step has been taken deliberately. In that case, things could get worse. " According to Hooda, providing special clothing and building shelters is a big challenge at the moment. He says shelters are needed not only for soldiers but also for safe havens for essential weapons and equipment.

"We cannot leave tanks and armed personnel carriers open," he said.  Large-scale transport planes and helicopters have also been deployed to assist the army. The Indian Air Force is also involved in the mission. Retired Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur said, "Clearly, there will be more aircraft in the area during this time." The Indian Air Force's transport unit will help, especially in cold weather. Leh and Thuis are our main air bases, from where we will help the army. The loser has powerful aircraft like C17, IL76, C130J, AN32. We also have helicopters like the Mi-17V5, Cheetah and Cheetah that work with both the IF and Army Aviation.  One important thing is that the cost will increase during this time. But in a May 15 webinar, Indian Army Chief General MM Nirvana said, "Expenditure will be reduced. Throughout the year, we need to see how we can cut costs. We have identified some areas where spending can be reduced.  However, military officials say the situation on the LAC has changed dramatically since then. Most military officials agree that the budget for the Indian Army should be increased. The government's intentions came to light when the Ministry of Defense increased the Border Roads Organization's annual budget. The BRO is currently focusing on road construction in border areas.  India is emphasizing one more thing. The Indian Ministry of Defense has started awarding contracts to Indian contractors as compared to foreign contractors. By doing so, the essentials are expected to reach the troops in less time.  In March, the Ministry of Defense told parliament that local contractors had been awarded 39% of the contract in 2015-16, increasing to 75% in 2019-20.