No ‘Cold Start’ doctrine, India tells US

[CONNAN]

No ‘Cold Start’ doctrine, India tells US

The US had taken up concerns by Pakistan on the perceived ‘Cold Start’ strategy of the Indian Army that envisages rapid deployment of troops on the western border to escalate to a full blown war within days but has been told that such a doctrine does not exist but is a term that has been fabricated by think tanks.

The matter was repeatedly taken up by senior US Defence delegations after Pakistan voiced concerns that diverting more troops to the Afghan border would not be feasible given the Indian ‘Cold Start’ strategy that could bring offensive elements of the Indian Army to its eastern border within four days.

While the US has been assured that no such doctrine exists, the Army has now come on record to say that ‘Cold Start’ is not part of its doctrine. Army Chief General V K Singh has told this newspaper that India’s basic military posture remains defensive.

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“There is nothing called ‘Cold Start’. As part of our overall strategy we have a number of contingencies and options, depending on what the aggressor does. In the recent years, we have been improving our systems with respect to mobilisation, but our basic military posture is defensive,” the Army Chief told The Indian Express.

The ‘Cold Start’ doctrine has been doing the rounds since the conclusion of Op Parakram in 2002 when the Indian Army was asked to mobilise on the Pakistani border after the attack on Parliament. It took the Army almost two months to fully deploy troops. Defence strategists have been talking about the new doctrine of the Indian Army that would enable it to deploy a full strength invasion force within a few days notice, unlike several weeks of preparation that were required earlier.

However, General Singh has said while active defence is part of the defensive strategy, India does not have any territorial ambitions. “We are not aggressors; however active defence is part of our defensive strategy. India is a peace loving nation and does not covet any territory,” he said.

While the Pakistani media has been getting shriller about the perceived doctrine, even suggesting several counter doctrines, the Army Chief has now clarified that the term is not a part of the Indian doctrine. “I think that ‘Cold Start’ is just a term bandied about by think tanks and media. It is neither a doctrine nor a military term in our glossary,” he said.

In November 2009, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in Washington that ‘Pakistan faces no threat whatsoever from our country and that is the stated position of the Government of India’. He made the statement after a comment by former Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor about the possibility of a ‘limited war under a nuclear overhang’. The government was upset about the comment as Islamabad and Washington raised the issue with the former pointing fingers at India’s ‘aggressive nature’.

 

[somebozo]

So whats the conclusion:

1) Indians admitting defeat of their doctrine after they realised General Kapoor is all hoopla and no action

2) India fears uncle sam

3) indian politicians are confidenct of their lying and deciving skills (chinyaka)

 

[roach]

So whats the conclusion:

1) Indians admitting defeat of their doctrine after they realised General Kapoor is all hoopla and no action

2) India fears uncle sam

3) indian politicians are confidenct of their lying and deciving skills (chinyaka)

Neither of the above.

The conclusion is that Uncle Sam was like,
"Dude, you shouldn't have talked about that Cold start stuff openly. The Pakistanis are worried, what with half their troops tied down on the Western front."

The Indian General was like,
"All right, all right. I'll pretend like there's no such thing and that we still have a dumb-a$$ defensive mindset like we did."

Both giggle.

 

[TaimiKhan]

Neither of the above.

The conclusion is that Uncle Sam was like, "Dude, you shouldn't have talked about that Cold start stuff openly. The Pakistanis are worried, what with half their troops tied down on the Western front."

The Indian General was like, "All right, all right. I'll pretend like there's no such thing and that we still have a dumb-a$$ defensive mindset like we did."

Both giggle.

Even if Indians hadn't talked openly, we would have known. We do have that much of intelligence to know about our enemy and its plans.

2ndly, this news item is for public consumption and not what reality is.

And 3rdly, not half of our army is tied down on the western front, its less.

 

[SivHp]

Even if Indians hadn't talked openly, we would have known. We do have that much of intelligence to know about our enemy and its plans.

2ndly, this news item is for public consumption and not what reality is.

And 3rdly, not half of our army is tied down on the western front, its less.

Don't u all see the purchase of heavy lift aircrafts ? what for ? rapid movement ? something FISHY !!

 

[RobbieS]

Nice pretense by our diplomats. Lets keep it up for their consumption. As our recent purchases suggest, our strategy will remain the same, Cold Start or whatever term.

 

[Areesh]

Nice pretense by our diplomats. Lets keep it up for their consumption. As our recent purchases suggest, our strategy will remain the same, Cold Start or whatever term.

Yup we know that. Taimi also said the same in his post.

 

[SivHp]

Yup we know that. Taimi also said the same in his post.

Nice to know the strategies & message it conveys..psychological wars..the milit gap is widening---unless Pak grows economically + internal law & order--this will grow to a point of no return--& Pak becomes so weak and it compels it to peace with INDIA at any costs--even forgetting K & all water disputes--even ur N factor will be a liability

 

[Areesh]

Nice to know the strategies & message it conveys..psychological wars..the milit gap is widening---unless Pak grows economically + internal law & order--this will grow to a point of no return--& Pak becomes so weak and it compels it to peace with INDIA at any costs--even forgetting K & all water disputes--even ur N factor will be a liability

Yeah yeah any other dooms day scenario in your pocket you have?

 

[footmarks]

Nice to know the strategies & message it conveys..psychological wars..the milit gap is widening---unless Pak grows economically + internal law & order--this will grow to a point of no return--& Pak becomes so weak and it compels it to peace with INDIA at any costs--even forgetting K & all water disputes--even ur N factor will be a liability

I dont agree with you. Peace will be furthur away as pakistan become weaker, since rouge elements will try taking control over the military assets as well as governing power. A stable pakistan is the need, as much of India as of Pakistan. Infact, we would have solved all our disputes with Pakistan had there been a single Power centre there.

 

[mokkaiboy]

Excellent job india, the US know very well about pakistans doulble game in the war against terror even though pakistanis said many a times that it does not support and harbour any terror groups, the whole world know what the reality is. So is india playing by saying it has no such doctrine. Does this mean should India dont have such a doctrine? Only a half minded will take it.
@Tamaikhan, if your country's intelligence might know cold start is for public consumption in india( which means no actual threat from india), 1.why your entire country is lamenting about it? 2. Is it an excuse to your army for not mobilising troops to fight taliban? If your intelligence is so strong what the heck is stopping it from collecting necessary intelligence to stop rampant bomb blasts in your country, which has become a daily ritual nowadays.
My conclusion is, the only short sighted Intelligence in the world is your's. it function like keeping your entire nations future at peril without bothering about your countrys future.

 

[SpArK]

Lots of things are being made out of these militaries. Each of the very little move does not have to be misconstrued as something sensational between the India and Pakistan.


Not all things are warlike. Unnecessary and unapt raise of sensitivity can make things getting worse. Just an ordinary marriage engagement between an Indian girl and a Pakistani cricket player was blown out of proportions.

Each and every country does its own war like exercises to check and see how preparations are in place. It gives them the chance to test out their new toys and strategies so that they know if they really would work or not. With Pakistan tilting towards democracy, we should not expect any tension or issues. The only concern are the militant elements who seem to be running their own agenda to trigger a war between the two countries.

 

[SivHp]

Yeah yeah any other dooms day scenario in your pocket you have?

am not doomsaying..isn't it happening in that direction ??? well i don't like people suffering--but all the INDIA hate policies and now sectarian violence is pointing to that direction a nation getting weaker---don't know or thought abt a weak n unstable Pakistan will be good or bad---OH Nukes--they will be taken care of by the very people who has helped to acquire it or Uncle SAM won't let it slip into wrong hands

 

[TaimiKhan]

@Tamaikhan, if your country's intelligence might know cold start is for public consumption in india( which means no actual threat from india), 1.why your entire country is lamenting about it? 2. Is it an excuse to your army for not mobilising troops to fight taliban? If your intelligence is so strong what the heck is stopping it from collecting necessary intelligence to stop rampant bomb blasts in your country, which has become a daily ritual nowadays.
My conclusion is, the only short sighted Intelligence in the world is your's. it function like keeping your entire nations future at peril without bothering about your countrys future.

First of all, Cold Start is not for public consumption, it is a reality, we may discuss at which stage it is, but we can't question the over all strategy.

Whole Indian mechanized formations massed just across the Pakistani border, 4 strike corps for Pakistan, more then enough to tell who poses more threat to us.

And whole of Pakistan is not lamenting about it, the way Indian media and its public does. Rather in Pakistan, only few people know about it & discuss it and very rarely its mentioned in media except for occasional analytical shows involving defence analysts that also when India shows its aggressiveness. Its not a hot debate over here.

With 4 strike corps & other strike divisions, nearly 80%+ or even more of the IA stationed against Pakistan, its very common sense dictating that Pakistan station its troops close to eastern borders and not divert them to western ones. Whatever the number we have there in western area is more then enough especially when compared to NATO or US, who are using the same number of troops or even lesser to control & occupy one whole big country, while we have larger amount of forces, covering much much smaller part compared to NATO & US. So first they should act and do more and then later on tell us what to do and where to put more soldiers.

And as intelligence guys say, its easy to remember and know the failures, but success are not remembered or known. So, as you have no idea of how intelligence agencies work, so better i don't discuss as it would be wastage of your precious time.

---------- Post added at 01:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:40 PM ----------

well no doubt our army can lead in 90 hours in Pakistan
Pakistan is not major problem now problem is china we have to focus on china

You are most welcome to try and see in 90 hours how much you can do whatever against Pakistan.

 

[TaimiKhan]

no its the 4th option

after so much chest thumping and call for counter actions against India,Pakistani establishment turned out to b a to ran to the U.S to hide in their lap,and make them stand in front of us to raise Pakistani concerns,pity u guys cant even speak for urselfs

Well out of the whole chest thumping of India, its pity they also have to go to US and other international forums and cry about Pakistan much more then Pakistan cries about India.

Rather ours were the intelligent ones who diverted the US flow towards India after US has been asking to deploy more troops in tribal areas and we told them that we can't and India being the reason.

Pity, that you guys even after such chest thumping came under the pressure of US and had to issue a statement.