Sino-Indian anti-terror drill begins

[Sena Lee]

KUNMING, Yunnan: China and India will hold their first joint anti-terror military drill starting tomorrow - a sign of growing military exchanges and mutual trust between the two neighbors.

Codenamed "Hand-in-Hand, 2007", the military exercise will be held in Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The weeklong drill will draw about 100 troops from each country, according to a brief statement from the foreign office of the Ministry of National Defense.

"The joint training is aimed at enhancing understanding and mutual trust between Chinese and Indian armies and strengthening their exchanges in the anti-terror areas," the statement said.

"It is also aimed at deterring the 'three evil forces' - separatists, extremists and terrorists - and promote the strategic partnership for peace and prosperity between China and India."

The drill, experts said, reflects the growing mutual trust and understanding, and will further promote trust building and exchanges between the two militaries.

"It will definitely help strengthen the mutual trust between the two countries, and the militaries in particular, given that they have an episode of unpleasant history," said Sun Shihai, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

In addition to its symbolic significance, Sun said the joint training is also of solid "substance" because the two countries are sometimes victims of the "three evil forces".

Despite the small scale of the drill, Sun said it is a "good starter".

Swaran Singh, associate professor at the School of International Studies at New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University, said: "This reflects the growing mutual trust and understanding between the two sides, including between their military establishments."

China and India last year signed a memorandum of understanding to institutionalize training and exercise exchanges and other contacts between the two militaries.

Since then China and India have been sending officers to each other's military institutions for training, and military delegations have been visiting each other on a regular basis.

"Hopefully, this momentum will pick up in the coming years and China and India can be a model of military cooperation among Asian countries," Singh said.

In 2003, the two nations held their first joint naval search and rescue exercises in the East China Sea.

Sino-Indian anti-terror drill begins

 

[Sam Dhanraj]

Its highly unlikely that in the near future both countries would ever need to have a Joint Anti Terror operation!!!...Still a Good Starter.

A Brief on the Indian Troops

Indian troops flown in for the joint war games have been picked up from forces battling ULFA and other organisations in the North-East. 15 J&K Light Infantry has an impressive record of counter-terrorist operations in its home base of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Scope of the exercises would be to train at Company level as also to streamline staff procedures at Battalion headquaters level," Brig Chatterjee said.

In the wargames, the confronting troops would be a mix and match of forces. Two Red Army companies would be supported by a company of Indian forces. Similarly two Indian companies would be assisted by a Chinese company.

While the Indian forces have only taken their personal weapons, light machine guns and mortars, the armoured backup is being provided by the Chinese Army which would deploy type 56 tanks, helicopter gunships and unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance.

outlookindia.com | wired

 

[Sam Dhanraj]

Mock militants target traders in joint terror drill
SUJAN DUTTA

Chinese soldiers welcome the Indian Army contingent for Exercise Hand-in-Hand at the Kunming airport in China. (PTI)
Kunming, Dec. 19: The India-China “Exercise Hand-in-Hand” is a first of its kind and elementary in terms of exposure to tactics and equipment.


It is billed as a counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist drill in the unrealistic scenario of militants occupying area between the Indian and Chinese armies in the mountains.

The militants are targeting cross-border trade between the two countries that — in real life — resumed partially through Nathu-La in Sikkim only in July last year. For the setting of the exercise, it is assumed by the two sides that trade is growing. The fictitious militants are targeting traders, 10 of whom have been killed.

When the bilateral military meet was mooted, the Chinese side had shown little interest in a war game. They wanted the encounter that takes off on December 21 — “Joint Training”. But the Indians wanted an exercise and a war game. A compromise was struck and the exchange is now formally being called a “Joint Training Exercise”.

“This is a joint training for the first time between our two countries,” said Senior Colonel Tian Yixiang of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), who is a director of training. “It is significant because it will increase our mutual understanding. Our aim is to strike at international terrorism.”

The Indian military brief says almost exactly the same thing about the objective of the exercise: “The exercise is aimed at building and promoting positive military relations, inter-operability and to undertake joint operations in a counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism environment for global peace.”

Although the exercise is spread over five days, the war game takes only the last two. The first days would be spent in “familiarisation”.

Soldiers of the Indian Army’s 15 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry company who are here will exchange weapons with troops of the PLA’s 7022 Armoured Recce Company.

The troops will then be “mixed up”. A platoon (about 30 soldiers) will be embedded in a company that will have two Chinese platoons. Similarly a platoon of Chinese soldiers will be embedded with the Indian company.

The two sides will be briefed on the plan of battle after each displays standard infantry tactics. The contingent commanders of the two sides will set up a “Joint Command Post” in the Kunming Military Academy (that can be compared with India’s National Defence Academy) while the troops move to the highlands south of Kunming.

The actual war game will be played out in and around Jinma village in the Yingpan Mountains. The Chinese will also deploy an additional platoon with a Type 96 tank, a Type 100 assaulting mortar and a helicopter contingent for surveillance.

In the scenario, the militants have been active in both Central and South Asia — probably a stretch reference to China’s concern over developments in Xinjiang — “and attempt to create terror on a large scale”.

They establish training camps in Chinese territory — a mock-up will be created in the Yingpan mountains — from which they launch attacks in India.

China and India, in the scenario, issued a joint statement that they intend taking all measures to fight international terrorism. To show intent, they set up the Joint Command Post. The commanders despatch the anti-terrorism units of the two forces and coordinate their moves.

The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | Mock militants target traders in joint terror drill

 

[Logic note]

Some Pictures of First Sino-Indian anti-terror drill





Yoga-791553.jpg (image)

 

[mujahideen]

New round of India’s wargames with China

By Jawed Naqvi

NEW DELHI, Feb 24: In a balancing act to placate a left-right domestic divide, India on Sunday announced a second round of military exercises with China and prepared to host an important visit on Tuesday by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates.

“For the first time we had an exercise with China in their territory. Next joint exercise will be held in India this year. You can wait for it,” Defence Minister A. K. Antony told reporters in Laungwala on Sunday.

He played down reports of Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh, saying “there exists an established channel to sort out such matters.”Mr Antony said the India-China border was not demarcated yet.

“It is not settled yet. There is always some scope for confusion,” he said.

Antony was quoted as speaking to journalists after a visit to Laungwala, the historic site where about 100 Indian soldiers thwarted a reported attack by Pakistani troops during 1971 India-Pakistan war.

New Delhi and Beijing carried out their first-ever joint military exercise in China’s southwestern province of Yunnan in December last year which was helpful in building mutual trust and promoting cooperation between the armies of the two countries.

Reports said meanwhile that a controversial Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) and expansion of US military sales to India are expected to figure prominently during the two-day visit by Mr Gates from Tuesday.

During the security dialogue, the two sides will review their strategic cooperation in various fields and explore ways to enhance the ties, Zeenews said quoting sources.

To be accompanied by a 50-member military-cum-business delegation, Mr Gates is also likely to call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and meet Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee and National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan.

New round of India’s wargames with China -DAWN - Top Stories; February 25, 2008