Nepal: Surkhet Air Strip for Indian Air Force, Target Tibet

[sancho]

And do you really think Nepal will side with India in a war with China or would it go neutral? Just tell me! Personally, I think if a war erupts between India and China - all other countries except Pakistan will play neutral role.

Turn it the other way around, if India falls, who will prevent China to take Nepal and Bhutan too?
The whole world is against China on the Tibet issue, but nobody will risk a war, for such a small and "unimportant" country. Imo it is in Nepals and Bhutans interest to be on Indias side, because India will never be a threat to them.

 

[sancho]

I don't understand why each and every activity of Indian defense forces are taken as anti-Pakistan or Anti-China.

There could be some more reasons than Anti-China factor in building such infrastructure in Nepal. GOI might want to encourage and ensure that pro-Indian neighbor will remain pro-Indian.

You are right of course, but why does India want them to be pro India? Not because we hope for much economic deals, but to prevent them to be pro China.

 

[normalindiancitizen]

Novice09 is right. Building an airstrip in Nepal is not a military advantage. Till vry recently India had very poor relations with her neighbours unlike Pakistan. It is only recently that India has started changing her foreign policy and started making friends. Till recently India has mainatained a high and mighty attitude with her neighbours and has experienced first hand the problems of having antagonistic neighbours. Hence we have started making friends. A few points:
1. Exchanging of troops or constructing military structures in other countries is the highest form of showing friendship and trust. Thus would not only have gaind a friend but would have shown it to the world.
2. Having a base does not mean we have to base fighters there. We could have early warning radars, etc. Thus giving us depth in defence. Just imagine if we could have bases in all our neighbouring countries with radars there, how much early warning and strategic dpth we could gain..
3. Also by making an overt friend in Nepal , we are also denying this kind of frindship to the Chinese.....
4. Finally what does it matter how the Chinese look at it, what do they have to do in a matter between India and Nepal???

 

[jarnee]

Just to clarify - Bhutan has a security pact with India, under this agreement their defence is effectively Indian responsibility. If they are invaded it is India's reponsibility to come to their aid.

Though Bhutan has effectively chose to stay under Indian protection the same cant be said of Nepal. This move by the Bhutan governmnet has clearly antagonised China, which views Bhutan with contempt for not coming under its sphere of influence. The Bhutanese simply dont trust the Chinese. Inspight of having such huge influence in Bhutan, India has chose not to station any troops there.

let me correct you ITBP is there on Bhutan China border for ages , 30 years or so

 

[Renegade]

An air base is not only meant for fighters, couldn't they be bases to land transport aircrafts for fast deployment of troops, arms and supplies? Or what about IAF combat helicopters?

Firstly, the combat helicopters that the IAF have a service sealing of approximately 12000 feet and most of the terrain in Nepal and Bhutan is above that.

Secondly the IAF currently lacks the capacity for such a strategic lift of troops arms and supplies that you seem to suggest. As a minimum of a division will have to be lifted along with their supplies and equipment to make any sensible defence possible. So the second possibility is also stands negated.

 

[Renegade]

I don't understand why each and every activity of Indian defense forces are taken as anti-Pakistan or Anti-China.

There could be some more reasons than Anti-China factor in building such infrastructure in Nepal. GOI might want to encourage and ensure that pro-Indian neighbor will remain pro-Indian.

Where in my post have i suggested that any defence activity by India is anti-China or anti-Pakistan.

Dude i have only tried to make startegic sense of what military benifits will we inherit by such a move.

 

[Renegade]

let me correct you ITBP is there on Bhutan China border for ages , 30 years or so

Thanks for the correction. I had known that the SFF operates out of Bhutan (though i cant validate that with any proof, so had left it out of my statement earlier) but had no idea about the ITBP presence there.

 

[sancho]

Firstly, the combat helicopters that the IAF have a service sealing of approximately 12000 feet and most of the terrain in Nepal and Bhutan is above that.

Secondly the IAF currently lacks the capacity for such a strategic lift of troops arms and supplies that you seem to suggest. As a minimum of a division will have to be lifted along with their supplies and equipment to make any sensible defence possible. So the second possibility is also stands negated.

Not sure about the airlift capability at the moment, but on the helicopters you seems to be mistaken:

Nepalese Army Air Service

...Since 1996 the country is facing attacks by Maoist rebels trying to overthrow the constitutional monarchy and establishing a communist republic. Their attacks have increased since the massacre within the Royal Family in 2001. This development has led to the need for armed helicopters. In recent years several types of aircraft have entered service; MI-17s, M28 Skytruck, ALH Lancer and HAL Dhruv. The UK has delivered two Islanders and two MI-17s free off charge. China decided to deliver an MA-60 (an Y-7 derivative). Nepal has also purchased HAL Cheetah and HAL Chetak helicopters.

Nepalese Army Air Service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If those are already in service, I don't see a problem there.

 

[Novice09]

Where in my post have i suggested that any defence activity by India is anti-China or anti-Pakistan.

Dude i have only tried to make startegic sense of what military benifits will we inherit by such a move.

Sorry for quoting your response due to misinterpreting your thoughts . amendment is done

 

[Renegade]

Not sure about the airlift capability at the moment, but on the helicopters you seems to be mistaken:


Nepalese Army Air Service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If those are already in service, I don't see a problem there.

Ok when you mentioned about combat helicopters - i infered it to be in the true military sense of attack helicopters like the Mi-24/Mi-35 types as possessed by the IAF. While the Mi-24/35 is a truly dedicated attack helicopter the Mi-17,M28 Skytruck,ALH Lancer & HAL Dhruv are not. They are lightly armed helicopters nothing compared to the Mi-24/35.

While these light helicopters enjoy higher service ceiling than dedicated attack helicopters, they lack a strong punch which is required in conventional warfare. Even during Kargil when the IAF was requested to employ the Mi-24/35's for pounding the Pakistani bunkers, they could not as these helicopters didnt have the capability to operate at such higher altitudes. So the IAF had to employ the lightly armed Mi-17's with mixed results, the Mi-17 ceratinly didnt pack the punch the Army was hoping for.

Back to the main point - the deployment of light helicopters in Nepal and Bhutan is unlikely to give us any advantage in a conventional warfare and any deployment of Indian Armed forces is likely to antagonise China, which might respond thereby raising the stakes. It makes no strategic sense to just put lightly armed helicopters which will give us no substantial benifit in military terms but would instead have strategic disadvantages.

 

[jarnee]

Thanks for the correction. I had known that the SFF operates out of Bhutan (though i cant validate that with any proof, so had left it out of my statement earlier) but had no idea about the ITBP presence there.

Let me also tell you Bhutanese does not need a work permit to live and work in India, All Visa's for Bhutan are done via New delhi. There are no Embassy's in Bhutan. Bhutan is largest Hydro electricity exporter to India. Indian companies with Bhutan collaboration have set up those plants and are functional for many years now.

I have 2 Bhutanese graduates (Indian univs) working in my team. Only thing they cannt do here is vote, but can apply for indian citizenship after 5 yrs. There is open border between Bhutan and India via WBengal. You will find lot of Indians esp from East driving to Bhutan for vacations.
The population of 691,141 is predominantly Buddhist, with Hinduism being the second-largest religion.
Bhutan is Happiest country in Asia
Bhutan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bhutan tourism website:
Bhutan holidays. Vacations & holidays to Bhutan. World's best responsible & ecotourism Bhutan holidays

 

[dillip]

I see a problem at the beginning of the article already as China doesn't regard India as the arch rival. Does India regard China as an arch rival similar to that of Pakistan? Most Mainland Chinese regard US as their rival as its selling weapons to Taiwan and its conducting military operation around China. A lot of Chinese who is not into politics would not know that there is even an issue between China and India as stated in the article.

Many Chinese see India as no.1 enemy because of Tibet factor.
India enemy No.1 of China because of Tibet factor: Report - International Business Times

 

[shchinese]

we deploy some WS-2D capable of hitting new delhi.

 

[KillBill]

we deploy some WS-2D capable of hitting new delhi.

Do you troll always?
What your post has to do with India having airbase in Nepal?

 

[pagans]

We need USSA (United states of south Asia)