Mountain Strike Corps - 17

Ray

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Every mountain height cannot be a strategic asset.

It will still be a tactical asset.



This a picture of Siachen.

Now, would it be strategic?

If so, which one?

And what about the higher heights not in the picture?

However, Zojila Pass (which is not in Siachen) maybe since its capture would cut off Ladakh from the Valley!

Then there is a thing called 'Ground of Tactical Importance' and another 'Vital Ground'.

One has to understand strategic and tactical and its difference.

It is glibly used in civil life and so the import is lost.

Like the world 'Logistics'.

I have heard people talking about organising taxis as 'get the logistics right'!

If only it meant that, military life would be so easy!!!!!
 
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asianobserve

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You have a point but I did not say that all mountain tops are of strategic importance. Anyway, I think if you're in a conflict zone it always pay to control the heights...BTW, strategic should be read in relation to a particular campaign.
 

Bhadra

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Mountain locations are often strategic areas.
My Dear asianobserver,

Afghanistan became a strategic area for a war of the control of Asia and denial of South Asia and Indian Ocean to Russia / later USSR.
To gain control over Afghanistan, one needs to control and dominate from tactical heights, passes, valleys and communication centrers. Since the focal point of the governance and communications and population control is Kabul, it becomes a strategic objective. Without controlling Kabul, one can not control North, South, East or west of Afghanistan.

Salang pass, tunnels, vallies, mountain tops, roads, towns are tactical objectives aimed to gain Kabul. Kabul is strategic. having gained it, Kandahar is now strategic for USA and Pakistan, both. who gains it gains Kabul.

Hope you get some idea. I have deliberately not been abstract. Used layman's language and example.
 
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shubhamsaikia

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Ray Sir might not agree to this, but would love to have his analysis on this. Expecting the Mountain Strike Corps to have 2 Infantry Division, 1 Airborne And 1 Artillery Division.

The 3 Divisions except the Airborne can operate in the are marked with blue. Because as stated the link up is going to be difficult. I am also not looking at Airborne operations too deep into enemy land but even 10-15 kms off the border. OR the airborne operations can start after normal operations have started and we have made a head way. I again repeat, just because its an Airborne Division neccessarily does not mean it cannot be used as a regular infantry division

However the Airborne Can Operate in areas marked with red because of its nominal height. I have shown the Siachen area as well because it shall become extremely important to enter the salgotra ridge and cut op the Pak-China link up and gradually use that to invade China using Strike as an option.
 

shubhamsaikia

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If i am not wrong the ignored Intel about the level of German presence in the area..
Also the Op Maps being discovered by the Germans. It was a wipe out. 4 Airborne Divisions of the Allied Airborne Army were para dropped which were to meet the XXX Corps Advance. But a lot of things went into its failure like, communication break down etc.
XXX Corps suffered fewer than 1,500 casualties, which stands in stark contrast to the 8,000 casualties suffered by the 1st Airborne Division. On several occasions, units of the flanking British Corps made contact with paratroopers before units of XXX Corps, and fought on to support them until the end of the operation. The higher toll by the 101st Airborne Division reflects the reality that aside from contending with the local German defenders, they also had to combat German troops retreating from XXX Corps advance
 

shubhamsaikia

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Open a map and check Skardu.

Use this interactive map:

Skardu satellite view

Now check the mountain ranges and its height and see how long that link up would take place, if indeed it can take place.

If the link up does not take place, how long will the Paratroopers who have done 'deep penetration' last? Will there not be very strong reaction from the Pakistanis?

Let us say air drop of replenishment is contemplated to increase the 'staying power' of the Paratroopers who have 'penetrated deep'.

Will the PAF, which would be active like hornets, allow every IAF aircraft through its airspace? If not, how much will actually go through and in the correct quantity and correct type?

On the problem of fighting in HAA and translating plans, one may check the 1965 War records of the Kargil Sector.
Ray Sir agreed
Here is what I am suggesting, if not the first resort cant't the Airborne be used a little later into the war. Say if India tries to infiltrate through Tezu, which can then bypass thowards the Gangzhou MR which is where we start building a headway into the Chinese Hinterland.

http://maps.live-translator.net/IN/Tezu/satelliteview.php
 

lemontree

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Looks like cakewalk for T-90, BTR-80, BMP-1/2, perhaps even for Arjun (not sure), if it is a one way thrust.
Not likely, those roads have bridges, that can take only a specified amount of load. If the bridges on those roads are designed to take loads of only 15-20 tons then your tanks will collapse those bridges. At best you can take BTRs or BMPs for convoy protection.

For any mountain blitz, the fighting will be infantry/ heliborne intensive, with heavy mortars and howitzers leap frogging for support as fast as they can.

Tactics will consist of fients and main thrusts by infiltration (so logistics will have to depend on animal transport for the assaulting units.

Also to understand what it means to capture a 200 km axis - the distance from Jammu to Punch is about 170 km.
Now imagine Jammu as the start point - capture Aknoor/ Sundarbani - capture Nowshera - capture Rajouri - capture Manjakote - capture a major pass called Bhimber Gali - capture Surankote - capture Punch.

In 1947-48, capturing Jhanger to Punch, took a whole year. Today a war cannot last more than a few weeks, due to a number of factors.
 

Kunal Biswas

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weren't the tanks used during the 1947 war...?
Yes indeed, but these are very small, smaller that BMP, We don't have any thing like that now..

Btw, A thread dedicated..
http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/indian-army/23011-general-his-tanks.html

Not likely, those roads have bridges, that can take only a specified amount of load. If the bridges on those roads are designed to take loads of only 15-20 tons then your tanks will collapse those bridges. At best you can take BTRs or BMPs for convoy protection.For any mountain blitz, the fighting will be infantry/ heliborne intensive, with heavy mortars and howitzers leap frogging for support as fast as they can.
Infantry all the way..

Though we can add some Mech solution, though it will be only on roads even roads used for mule..
 

shubhamsaikia

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ANyways getting back to hat our Mountain Strike Corps Needs. The Mountain Artillery needs to be lighter which can also be airdropped. Bofors did a great job during Kargil.

However I am also looking at Mortars installed on Mechanised Vehcles or Jeeps.
2R2M Rifled 120mm Mortar



Sometime back in 2006-2007 there were talks to buy 2R2M and equip all the remaining Light Regiments which were not being converted to BrahMos.
 

shubhamsaikia

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CVRDE Carrier Mortar Tracked (CMT)


81 mm mortar mounted in the modified troop compartment. However this can compliment the regular Mechanized Units. And a few of the Light Artillery Regiments be given equipments like the Amos or 2R2M.
 

Kunal Biswas

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@shubhamsaikia,

Its a very good topic you have started, though it is better to think abt current situation from what we have already, 81mm mortar ( Not rapid fire auto mortar ) mounted on a Jeep is a flexible idea..

Also adding, Now days there are 51mm mortar are with Regular Infantry, These are lighter and have range more than 750m..
 

shubhamsaikia

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@shubhamsaikia,

Its a very good topic you have started, though it is better to think abt current situation from what we have already, 81mm mortar ( Not rapid fire auto mortar ) mounted on a Jeep is a flexible idea..
Thank You sir.
 

shubhamsaikia

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Definitely we can start from scratch of what we have and later if required talk of what we need. Now the current Strike Corps have an Artillery Division (40, 41 and 42 Arty Div for 2,21 and 1 Corps respectively) to itself. So assuming the same for our new strike corps.

This might be the OrBat for the new Strike Corps.
2 Infantry/Mountain Divisions,
1 Armoured/ Mechanized or Mixed Division (Citing Terrain Requirements I suggest an Airborne Division),
1 Artillery Division,
1 Armoured/Mechanised Brigade or both (Incase of No Division Level formation),
1 Air Defence Brigade,
1 Engineer Brigade
and eventually the proposed Aviation Brigade.

For the IA these are interesting developments and can also look into our Air Defence and Engineer Brigade requirements for the mountains.
 
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