Mechanized Infantry, More Troops, Army’s Preparedness For a China Face-Off

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

SOURCE: NDTV

All along the 826-kilometre-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) – starting from the Karkoram Pass in the North – the de-facto border between India and China, the Indian military is ramping up.

Numbers of boots on ground have increased exponentially. Soldiers have been pre-positioned along the border. More are expected in the next few months. The ridge lines which often define the claim lines of the two countries are dotted bunkers and gun positions. Most are new additions.

NDTV was recently given access to the remote and sometime inaccessible areas on the LAC.

“My posts start from 15,000 feet, and our patrols go up to 20,000 feet,” Colonel Ritesh Singh of the 19 Kumaon guarding the borders in South Eastern Ladakh told NDTV.

Even as we speak, a long range patrol headed by a young Captain leave the post. As India marks its territory more vigorously, encounters and face-offs with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) too have increased.Not only more soldiers, tanks and mechanized infantry have been moved close to the border. New formations too have come-up along the border. For security reasons NDTV is not detailing either their exact location or the strength. But the strength is several times more than number of troops deployed in the 1962. Recent war gaming indicates that China can throw anything between 60,000 to 80,000 men at India in case of hostilities.

For about four decades since the 1962 India-China war, India deliberately didn’t build infrastructure along the border. And, the border was protected by a few battalions who were supported by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Ladhak Scouts. All that changed in 2005, after then Foreign Secretary Shaym Saran underlined the need to rapidly develop infrastructure and increase strength along the India-China border.

In 2012, India started deploying more and more forces in eastern Ladakh facing China. The accretion of force and infrastructure-push is in full swing now.

Besides, the increase in number of troops, subtle changes also indicate India means business. Earlier, for instance, most infantry battalions guarded the barren heights of Eastern Ladhak for about six months, before moving on to Siachen Glacier. They were called ‘link battalions’. Infantry battalions have been positioned for at least two years.

“Longer tenures allow us to appreciate the terrain and peculiarities better. And, therefore, our defensive and offensive plans are effective,” a senior officer told NDTV.

Explaining the change, Lt Gen SK Patyal, Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps, said, “We have to defend our international borders, whatever it takes in terms of infrastructure and accretion, we are doing it in the best possible manner”.


http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mech...mys-preparedness-for-a-china-face-off-1433983

 

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

Troops To Be Best Equipped At Challenging China Border: Minister Ahir

SOURCE: PTI

India will provide best equipment and facilities to its troops guarding the “challenging and sensitive” Sino-India frontier, Union minister Hansraj Ahir on Wednesday said, as he flagged off 29 brand new SUVs from Delhi to be deployed at border posts of ITBP for patrolling and other operations.

The newly-appointed Minister of State for Home said it was the need of the hour to provide matching vehicles to Indian troops as provided by China to its men guarding the frontier.”The border with China is considered very sensitive…a country like China which has time and again put us in trouble…it is standing like a challenge before us and you (ITBP) work there…,” he said while flagging off 29 white-coloured Mahindra Scorpio border outpost (BoP) SUVs from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police headquarters.

While speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Mr Ahir said China has provided such facilities (to its forces) and the government will sanction more of such powerful vehicles to the mountain warfare trained force.

“This (providing Sports Utility Vehicles) is not a show off but it is a necessity…we should be full-fledged against China and when it comes to vehicles, we should not be less than China,” he said.

This was the first public event of Mr Ahir, under the Home Ministry charge, after he was appointed as the Minister of State (Home) earlier this month by the Modi government.

ITBP Director General Krishna Chaudhary said these vehicles, equipped with 4X4 wheel drive, power steering and turbo charge engine that survives sub-zero temperatures, will be exclusively used for operations, logistical tasks and casualty evacuation at high-altitude posts that are connected with roads.

ITBP has got trained a special team of drivers to drive these SUVs and it has cost the force about Rs. four crore.

“These vehicles will not only help in fortifying our defences at the border but will also boost the morale of our personnel who serve in some of the harshest climatic areas in very low temperatures,” the DG said.

He said the Scorpios have in-built heaters and will help troops in travelling in some warmth during heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions.

Out of the 29, 10 will be sent to BoPs in Ladakh, six each will go to forward areas in Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, five to Uttarakhand and the last two will be sent to ITBP BoPs in Sikkim.

 

[John Reese]

ecent war gaming indicates that China can throw anything between 60,000 to 80,000 men at India in case of hostilities.

Still It Will Take 36 hours Journey to reach Ladakh from Tibetan Plateau
XI Corps is posted in Leh next to border

Sanctioned strength: 90,000 with 30,000 reserves

 

[PARIKRAMA]

NDTV has gone bonkers. Even if we do such deployments whats the need of covering this and making it exclusive news. China has already reacted to it as per their own website asking for caution and solving issues
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indi...-state-media-1434204?pfrom=home-lateststories

In the same article NDTV wrote

An article in the Chinese state-run Global Times today said: "A media report stating that nearly 100 Indian tanks have been positioned near the Indo-China border to counter any possible threat grabbed people's attention as more Chinese firms are looking to increase their investment in India. However, it is puzzling that while deploying tanks near China's border, India still strives to woo Chinese investment."

It added: "The deploying of tanks near the Indo-China border may hit a nerve within the Chinese business community, causing investors to weigh the threat of political instability when they make investment decisions."

First NDTV creates this sensationalism, then a country reacts and GOI is now push to the corner bcz it wanted this carefully off the news event for future purposes.

Do they think that such military deployments in any side's border wont come to the notice of the other side?

I dont understand whats the motive behind all this? Is it to corner GOI which is led by a political party which is not liked by the news channel. or is it to create an international issue to embarrass the government?

Dont know why NDTV had to leak this strategic information under Exclusive Beaking news.

Either way its absolute stupidity to run this news campaign .. and Mani Shankar Aiyar will come out with another article saying Present government is making all efforts to wage a war with dragon....

Wish NDTV folks are given a show cause notice and asked about its carefully planned anti national activities...