India ramps up defence along China border

Free Karma

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The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News

Leh, August 17
India has started ramping up military defences in the Ladakh sector of Jammu and Kashmir that faces China, especially after Beijing has ringed the area with at least six airfields, fighter aircraft, all terrain vehicles and special forces that are backed by top-class metalled roads right up to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

New Delhi will be moving an armoured brigade — some 150 T-72 tanks — to Ladakh and also have Smerch multi-barrel rocket launch units placed at key locations. These are capable of hitting targets 70-80 kms away.

An armoured regiment — 46 tanks — had moved in last year to join the Kiari-based 70 Brigade and is now located at a forward sector, 20 km inside the LAC, where India suffered a setback in the 1962 conflict with China. This is separate from the upcoming Armoured Brigade that will be directly controlled by the Leh-based 14 Corps. Its three Regiments, comprising 46 tanks each, will be co-located with existing infantry and artillery regiments of the Indian Army. Meaning an armoured component will be available from the northern most tip, that is the base of the Karokaram pass at Daulat Baig Oldie, to the south eastern extreme of Demchok and Chumar, sources said. Adding up the numbers would mean that over the next 18 months India would have stationed 200 of the T-72 tanks in Ladakh and all night-sight equipped.

Ladakh being a plateau is ideal tank country. The only effort is in bringing the tanks through the narrow and high Himlayan passes on the Srinagar-Leh route or the Manali-Leh route.

The existing numbers of tanks are just not enough in case of an attack, especially after the Indian side was alerted of threat by way of a specialised exercise by the Chinese to have rapid movement across Tibet and Xinjiang, both abutting Ladakh. The Lanzhou Military Area Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China carried out rapid movement exercises in 2012. The first tank regiment moved to Ladakh in 2013.

New Delhi's fears got an official stamp in March 2013 when the State Council of China published a white paper titled "The Diversified Employment of China's Armed Forces" that talked about these rapid movements. It claimed the PLA extensively practised the move to concentrate troops. "Trans-military area command movements have been carried out. In 2012, the Chengdu MAC and Lanzhou MAC carried out the exercise." Lanzhou and Chengdu — are dedicated to India. The Lanzhou MAC is tasked for J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, while the Chengdu MAC is for Chinese frontiers facing Nepal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. China in total has seven MACs.

China has ringed J&K with new airfields. The Ngari Gunsa airbase in Tibet has come up just 200 km east of Demchok in India. North of J&K, airbases at Kashgar, Yarkand, Hotan and Qeimo (Cherchen) in Xinjiang can be used to launch an attack.

More tanks and artillery
  • New Delhi will be moving an armoured brigade, nearly 150 T-72 tanks, to Ladakh and also have Smerch multi-barrel rocket launch units placed at key locations
  • An armoured regiment, 46 tanks, had moved in last year to join the Kiari-based 70 Brigade and is now located at a forward sector, 20 km inside the Line of Actual Control
  • Three Regiments, comprising 46 tanks each, of Armoured Brigade will be co-located with existing infantry and artillery regiments of the Indian Army
 

asianobserve

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Isn't India applying for the next biggest thing on earth... SCO? :rolleyes:
 

Srinivas_K

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"Hit the them and hit them hard" in case of Chinese aggression is the mantra.

As Modi said India is building up the defenses so that either China or Pakistan cannot dare to attack.

India needs Brahmos and anti aircraft SAMs in large number .... we have to make sure if Chinese attack Tibet will be at stake for Chinese.
 

sesha_maruthi27

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In addtional of the above we have to move 10 batteries of Brahmos towards the China Border and thats it chinese will start biting their nails more.....
 

ladder

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They have already resolved their territorial dispute. Haven't you heard?




Indeed! Bright boys your people in Government eh?




A simple google can do you a lot of good... BTW, it's now a new English word, "google."




You have a point here. Although I still consider the Chinese-Indo tension and the Pakistani-Indo conflict of greater weight than the on and off and now improving Turkish and Greek relations.
And there hasn't been a bullet being fired in India-China border since half a century. Next.

==========================

I thought the only bright boy was Malaysian ex President/PM who was heading the war crimes tribunal :rofl:


===============================

Please help this ESL/ non native English speaker with 'Google' about where it says SCO is a military block.

==============================

I always have a point. But sometimes it's lost with the receiving party.

And your perception about Indo-Pak or Indo-China conflict isn't on firm ground that you will be able to built your 'perceptional' PETRONAS tower on it.
==========================
 

ladder

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And there hasn't been a bullet being fired in India-China border since half a century. Next.

==========================

I thought the only bright boy was Malaysian ex President/PM who was heading the war crimes tribunal :rofl:


===============================

Please help this ESL/ non native English speaker with 'Google' about where it says SCO is a military block.

==============================

I always have a point. But sometimes it's lost with the receiving party.

And your perception about Indo-Pak or Indo-China conflict isn't on firm ground that you will be able to built your 'perceptional' PETRONAS tower on it.
==========================
And as I debate with you,

Chinese troops enter 25 km deep into Indian territory: Sources


And we will solve it with maturity, like last year.
These are pressure tactics and we know how to play.
 

Hari Sud

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Chinese are probing. It is not a real deal yet. If Chinese probes prove to them that Indians are too resolute then they would change their mind and retreat and discontinue their probes.

Chinese are not ready for a shooting war especially if they know that their are 200 T-72 waiting for them. Their own tanks and crews were proved inferior in the latest contest in Russia where 20 nations withnT-72 tanks participated. Chinese fielded their own inferior tanks. Indians were third with Russia and Ukraine as first and second.

The point here is that if you present a dead defensive bat (cricket term) then the adversary thinks twice. That is what is happening now.

There is another possibility that the Chinese Central Committee in Peking has not approved it. It is the local commander who is getting too agressive. The current Chinese Commander in the Sinkiang region is known for his aggressive attitude. He would like to earn his promotion by being aggressive and proving that he can recover more territory which is still under Indian control.

The point here is that Chinese aggressiveness is not a policy but a local stupidity. By presenting a dead defensive posture, India is doing the right thing.
 

pmaitra

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@asianobserve, read the thread title before commenting. You were already pointed out in this post. The "irony" [sic.] is that you don't know what that word means, while you pontificate about a certain "English word." Please refrain from going into every thread and trolling.
 
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Ray

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Ladakh is not really a plateau in the sense that tanks can have a free runs all over.

There are tank runs.

On the other side of the LAC, the tank country is better.

Therefore, the posture is not merely defensive, but also proactive.

One may peruse the Terrain Map of Leh Ladhak.
Detailed Terrain Map of Ladakh (Leh)

It is important that one does not merely resemble a defensive posture but also act as a 'threat in being' to deter the adversary from being over enthusiastic and adventure prone.

While indeed the access to Ladakh is restricted from hinterland India, but that is where the C 17s come into play, by moving tanks in CKD and SKD (semi knocked down) configurations and assembled in situ.
 
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asianobserve

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@pmaitra

The irony? Indian forces are preparing for even bigger confrontation with the PLA in the contested areas while Indian politicians are applying for membership in SCO which is an organization controlled by China. Now that's irony.
 
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Ray

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@pmaitra

The irony? Indian forces are preparing for even bigger confrontation with the PLA in the contested areas while Indian politicians are applying for membership in SCO which is an organization controlled by China. Now that's irony.
India is not preparing for confrontation.

Just asserting their presence on to territory that is theirs.

India joining SCO is only to ensure a better understanding of the regional aspirations of the region.
 
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asianobserve

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India is not preparing for confrontation.

Just asserting their presence on to territory that is theirs.
Really? If Indian military is not expecting trouble in that area then why spend a lot of money beefing up the forces in that isolated place? What's the point of buying C-17s and C-130s? The fact is that China has been exhibiting aggressiveness there lately and the Indian military is forced to beef up forces both for deterrence and actual incidents of Chinese adventurism. The Chinese sees weakness in India and they are taking advantage. Good thing the Indian military is finally waking up to the fact that the Chinese are not only doing friendly visits...


India joining SCO is only to ensure a better understanding of the regional aspirations of the region.
India is joining SCO mainly because of long held anti-West feelings on the Indian political class. India politicians have no rational rudder in international relations. Their mind is corrupted by anti-colonialist and Soviet hang-over syndrome.
 
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Twinblade

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What's the point of buying C-17s and C-130s?
Il-76 and limited An-32 replacements respectively (till MTA comes on line).

India is joining SCO mainly because of long held anti-West feelings on the Indian political class. India politicians have no rational rudder in international relations. Their mind is corrupted by anti-colonialist and Soviet hang-over syndrome.
You are either clueless or living in the early eighties. There are plenty of good books on concurrent Indian foreign policy. I can recommend you some.
 

asianobserve

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You are either clueless or living in the early eighties. There are plenty of good books on concurrent Indian foreign policy. I can recommend you some.
No, I've seen enough antics from Indian politicians on international relations. They naturally gravitate towards anti-Western camp. Hell, they are even prepared to exist under China in SCO.

A lot of Indians on the other hand want to migrate or work in the West...
 

Twinblade

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No, I've seen enough antics from Indian politicians on international relations. They naturally gravitate towards anti-Western camp. Heck, they are even prepared to exist under China in SCO.

A lot of Indians on the other hand want to migrate or work in the West...
As I said, you are clueless. Or maybe a word called neutral doesn't exist in your language. Read about the cornerstones of Indian foreign policy, based on which decisions are made. Read about the concerns of Indian governance, under which we take stances at WTO, climate summits and other economic forums. Read more, lurk more before you shoot your mouth off. I'll give you some keywords, if you are intelligent enough you will learn some.

i) developmental priorities
ii) globalisation and free trade.
iii) neutrality and non alignment
iv) SAARC
v) directive principles of state policy, also called the moral framework of the Indian constitution.
 

EXPERT

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I Don't know what is the use of 200 Tanks, if they already have 6 airbase and can bombard each section of ours in minutes. Single sortie of Carpet bombing rest the case.
1.We have to increase our Air defence capability, firepower (not by deploying more tanks rather deploy Prahar,Smerch,Pinaca's etc) for heavy bombardment on their infrastructure ,
2. Brahmos block I,II,III for precision striking of strategically located highways, rail routes, bases etc.
3. Increase our air lifting capability by deployment of Il-76, upgraded An- 32, C-17s, C-130 Js etc.
4. Increase Radar and signal network through out the LAC.
5. Station as much bases of Su 30 MKIs, Rafale's.
 

DivineHeretic

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I Don't know what is the use of 200 Tanks, if they already have 6 airbase and can bombard each section of ours in minutes. Single sortie of Carpet bombing rest the case.
1.We have to increase our Air defence capability, firepower (not by deploying more tanks rather deploy Prahar,Smerch,Pinaca's etc) for heavy bombardment on their infrastructure ,
2. Brahmos block I,II,III for precision striking of strategically located highways, rail routes, bases etc.
3. Increase our air lifting capability by deployment of Il-76, upgraded An- 32, C-17s, C-130 Js etc.
4. Increase Radar and signal network through out the LAC.
5. Station as much bases of Su 30 MKIs, Rafale's.
It's not just 200 tanks, the final numbers will come close to 350 tanks, roughly the strength of an armored division. And then there is the possibility of further accretion in force levels once logistics lines are strengthened to absorb the requirements of a larger force presence in the area.

The reason for the IA boosting its force levels can be attributed to the following reasons (not exhaustive):

1. The IA is worried about the mobilization capability of PLA. The IA could very well mobilize similar or greater numbers of troops as the PLA into the contested region, but by virtue of inferior transportation links, the IA mobilization would be slower. Thus the IA wants to localize a larger force into the region.

The other benefit of this thinking is that with an armored division strength force, the IA will get extra valuable time to move in reinforcements from the hinterland, should a shooting war break out.

2. The IA realizes the current logistics lines are for the first time capable of supporting such formations. Armored formations are extraordinarily logistics intensive compared to other fighting forces and thus concerns over logistics viability override all other factors in deciding to commit them to an area.

We are seeing a similar situation in Sikkim and the NE, where there is now a growing belief within the IA top brass about the capability of the road networks to sustain larger, heavier formations. This belief is borne out from the steady, even if slow modernization of road networks in these regions.

3. There is a strong(er) conviction now that the IAF can adequately cover and support IA formations in this plateau. In an open location such as the plateau, where cover is scant, heavy air cover is crucial to the survival of any and all units. And this goes for both sides. Especially for the PLA as the IAF has better guided and cluster munitions at the moment.

The points you have raised are absolutely valid, and will in time be stationed into the area. But as with all military developments, this will be done in a carefully co-ordinated, calibrated manner. First came the infantry supported by airborne logistics, then came the road networks, and now have arrived the armored brigades. Next will follow the stand-off strike platforms.

Without the ability to hold ground, which again can only be achieved by terrestrial forces, you cannot deploy the missile assets you have mentioned. In flat terrain, be it at 5000 m above sea level, mobile forces could advance over a hundred miles a day, meaning your stand-off munitions might simply be overrun, or bypassed.
 

roma

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In addtional of the above we have to move 10 batteries of Brahmos towards the China Border and thats it chinese will start biting their nails more.....
I would have preferred that india also took a more forward position by having Indian Navy in active duty in South China Sea because without that we are defending a relatively nearby border while they are waging warfare literally more than 2 thousand miles from their major cities on their east coast . We should have military units much closer to their east coastal cities .

One way is through naval force, via naval bases in the Philippines the other is to have land-based units in Vietnam and naval bases in Philippines. ..that will scare them and it is nothing provocative as china has troops in Pak occupied Kashmir - so we can reciprocate with forces in Vietnam and naval bases in Philippines, Taiwan ( if we have more guts later ) .

As Vietnam and Philippines, need the protection , they can also contribute towards the costs- it's only fair they do so.


@pmaitra
The irony? Indian forces are preparing for even bigger confrontation with the PLA in the contested areas while Indian politicians are applying for membership in SCO which is an organization controlled by China. Now that's irony.
Isn't India applying for the next biggest thing on earth... SCO? :rolleyes:
Nothing ironic - just a mere repeat of 1962 - they will shake hands with sushma swaraj and welcome india in to the club and the next morning attack in arunachal . After all they are only taking back what is theirs, according to them ?
 
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