Amid continued tension at the border in Ladakh in the west, China has stepped up its military presence in the east, including Arunachal Pradesh. It has also built infrastructure close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) besides enhancing the intensity of its military drills.
Not willing to take any chances, India has taken adequate measures and correspondingly firmed up contingency plans to deal with any threat in that sector, Eastern Command chief Lt General Manoj Pande said on Tuesday.
Giving a sense of the situation in the sensitive eastern sector, Pande said the Chinese army has stepped its annual training exercises in their depth areas. Moreover, additional troops deployed by China in the east after the Ladakh stand-off last year remain there, he said.
The Eastern Command chief also noted China is setting up dwelling units or hamlets close to the hamlet and said the “dual-use” of these villages was a matter of concern.
The Asapila sector in Arunachal Pradesh was among the areas where the Indian Army observed infrastructure development by PLA close to LAC, and it had led to a corresponding increase in troop deployment there, he said.
The main objective of the Chinese drills was to launch integrated operations and India has taken adequate countermeasures, including a sufficient number of troops in all the sectors in the east, Pande said. The LAC in the east, including Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, is nearly 1,400 km.
On face-off between troops of India and China at Naku La in north Sikkim, he said patrols came face-to-face in the area because of different perception of the LAC, and protocols were in place to resolve the situation even though sometimes confrontations lasted longer.
Scores of Indian and Chinese soldiers were involved in a face-off in Naku La in May 2020, with rival troops suffering injuries in the incident following an exchange of blows. Another face-off took place in Naku La between the two sides earlier this year.
Given the increased Chinese activities on its side of the LAC, the Indian Army has increased surveillance along the border using satellites, long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and other hi-tech intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, Pande said.
The Eastern Command chief also said the focus is on honing the surveillance capabilities using niche technologies, including modern aerial platforms, a superior network of radars, hi-tech night vision systems, and modern communication equipment.
He said the Army’s new mountain strike corps, raised to counter the Chinese threat in the east, was fully operational now.
He said new equipment deployed in the Ladakh sector is being simultaneously inducted in the east, with the focus being on enhancing mobility, drone and counter-drone systems, precision-guided ammunition and surveillance systems.
Giving an account of India’s overall military modernisation, Pande also said in-principle approval was given to new combat formations called the Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) which can mobilise fast with a more effective approach.
The IBGs will comprise a mix of infantry, artillery, air defence, tanks, and logistics units, and the new setup is expected to revamp the Army’s warfighting capabilities, particularly along the borders with China and Pakistan.
“We have adequate forces that are available in each sector to deal with any contingency that may arise. We are practising and rehearsing various contingencies that may arise,” he said.
Meanwhile, along with the drones, the Indian Army’s aviation wing has also been deploying the Weapon System Integrated (WSI) variant of the Advanced Light Helicopter Rudra in the region adding more teeth to its tactical missions in the region. The government is also working on connecting Tawang with a railway network as part of the decision to enhance infrastructure in the region.
India and China have held 13 rounds of Corps Commander level talks to end the stand-offs in Eastern Ladakh. However, the latest round on October 10 failed to make any breakthrough with the Chinese side not agreeing to suggestions made by the Indian Army.
The military dialogue took place more than two months after the last round of talks that led to the disengagement of forward-deployed troops from Gogra, or Patrol Point-17A, which was one of the flashpoints on the LAC in Ladakh, in early August.
