Yes, logistics makes a huge difference. These steps must be taken:
1. Built proper roads to standards in all border areas. Build tunnels for quick movement.
2. Lay down optic fiber cable all over for communications and fast IT networking for network centric warfare.
3. Position dedicated satellites for 24x7 Himalayan border coverage.
4. Build capabilities that can quickly deploy military camps in the frigid cold at very high altitudes.
5. Have a dedicated, top class Air Force and drone force including drone swarms with hidden emote monitoring sites in mountain caves. Have a lot of heavy air lift capabilities.
6. EMP logistics. EMP would need transmission lines capable of carrying high voltage all along the border. So HV lines all along the border is a must. Avalanche causing sonic booms are a possibility too.
7. Develop tactical nuclear warheads for battle field use . Build robots that can be deployed to fire dangerous weapons like tactical nukes and sonic booms, and can be paradropped behind enemy lines for massive, surprise attacks.
8. Deploy a first class BFSR system. Again, this requires solid electricity supply and backup generators.
9. Develop border towns and villages and have tourism to the maximum. This prevents surprise attacks or any Behind Enemy Lines types of attacks.
10. Try and hack into Chinese intelligence and civil networks from time to time to learn of their plans. Train Tibetans and NE Indians to pass off as Chinese and setup sleeper cells within and a spy network within China, especially Tibet, just in case we need to get the local population to rise up and revolt.
Do ALL of the above in very rapid time and efficiently. But do we have the money and will to do so? Probably not. This is the major issue. So we need to thinkri deterrence and invest in systems that can cause maximum damage to the PLA and open up fronts in the Andaman straits and SCS with our allies to increase costs significantly. Setting up a solid spying network within Tibet should greatly help.
Various strategies to beef up our capabilities are available if funds are not a problem. All practical suggestions are welcome.
But strategy wise our war objectives against China should change drastically.
Unless we aim to capture and hold Tibet and Xinjiang territory in its entirety true deterrence against China will not be achieved.
Now immediately some people would say that China is 3 times India's size and even dreaming of freeing Tibet and Xinjiang from Chinese occupation is an exercise in futility and foolhardy. They will point out the disparity that exists in the industrial capacity of the two countries.
Yes, China is bigger than India. But who allowed them to become big. Even a 100 years ago both Tibet and Xinjiang were really not part of China. And these two regions are not small nations. Tibet is a minimum of 2 million square kilometres of land and Xinjiang probably 1 million square kilometres big(somebody can correct these figures if needed). Without Tibet and Xinjiang China would be around 6 million square kilometres big. While India with Tibet and Xinjiang would be about 5 million square kilometres big. (all figures are approximate). Not too much of a difference.
Now nobody is saying that India should do a Ghenghis Khan and capture Beijing. Or even become an Alexander or Nepoleon.
But at least thinking of capturing Tibet or Xinjiang cannot be an impossible dream.
Is the plan totally unachievable.
Let us look at some facts.
Chinese economic growth has peaked and is plateauing. No more 10% plus growth figures. The West will not allow high level of Chinese exports to their countries. So the long term trend will be around 5% growth.
Their population is ageing and will decline in the future. The young working population will also decline. So more numbers of pensioners. Non productive and dependent population.
The situation is almost opposite in India as far as demographics goes.
India on the other hand has not yet peaked. The era of plus 10% growth is very much possible. So we will grow faster than China and start closing the gap between the economies. Now whether we come close to China's GDP figures within one decade or two decades is to be seen. But one inescapable fact is that India will continuously close the economic gap with China. So finding resources for defence should not be a problem.
As far as scientific and technological capabilities are concerned though China may be ahead of India in a few areas, India will catch up and should exceed the level of China in the not too distant future. A big factor will be the access to Western technologies. Something that the Chinese do not enjoy. Though China has progressed a lot technologically it is still an decade behind Europe and the US in many areas.
So to put it in simple terms, the future favours India.
Nobody is underestimating the challenges ahead. Both Tibet and Xinjiang are very big regions area wise. Building up sufficient forces to take on the PLA and the PLAAF in these two regions and prevailing over them is an daunting task. But I believe we should think big and aim big. The fast growing Indian economy should provide wings to our dreams.
Our land forces should even aim for an numerical superiority over the PLA Army strength (looking at Chinese force levels in Tibet and Xinjiang) as far as men under arms are concerned.Equipment wise the Indian Army should at least match the equipment levels of the PLA Army. It will be necessary for the IAF to achieve technological superiority over the PLAAF. This can be done with some help from the West. (As India's defence R & D picks up pace, I anticipate Indian indigenous weapons becoming even better than equivalent Chinese weapons. That will happen in the next decade, I guess.).
We would need to push back Chinese forces in Tibet and Xinjiang, capture territory and also hold on to the captured territory.
A lot of money, men and material would be needed. But if we want to take on China as an equal then probably there is no alternative to thinking big and planning big.
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polaris in background ?
