- – G‘ets over 200 hectares land along with China border
- – Starts upgrading military air strips into full-fledged airports
- – Plans establishing infantry, artillery, signals, aviation, intelligence infrastructure on China border
- – Gets huge funds from govt to enhance night combat capabilities
From Christina Palmer
NEW DELHI: While the Indian government and its military establishment is inviting global attention towards escalation with Pakistan by activating military maneuvers along the LOC in Kashmir region, it actually is bidding to cover up what it is actually preparing for China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with borders at China, reveal the investigations of The Daily Mail.
These investigations indicate that Indian government, under the National Security Doctrine, designed by NSA Ajit Doval, is one the other side, is actually making certain very drastic developments in Arunachal Pradesh, Leh and Eastern Laddakh areas, along with the border with China, called Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The developments include raising of mountain warfare strike Corps, increase in deployment of troops, reinforcement of Indo Tibetan Border Patrol (ITBP), establishing new formations of Armored Corps, placing of new infantry vehicles, upgrading of Air strips, air bases and Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs), up gradation of road-networks, p-lacing new missile systems both Air to Surface and Surface to Surface, Multi Barrel Rocket Launching Batteries (MBRLBs) etc.
According to The Daily Mail’s investigation, Indian army has been provided with some 400 hectors of land in Arunachal Pradesh, near borders with China and out of this land, some 40 hectors of land was given to army in village Bana in Seppa of East Kemeng District of Arunachal. This land was earlier under the use of Indi’s Ministry of Environment and Forests(MoEF) . After the land was handed over to Ministry of Defense, Indian army headquarters placed some Infantry battalions, part of a Mountain Strike Corps, some Artillery regiments, surveillance and target acquisition(SATA) units while it moved over one hundred Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) in the months of June and July 2016, mostly comprising Russian-origin T-90 and T-72 tanks, supported with BPM Infantry Vehicles. The Armour formations that Indian army has now formed, coupled with BMP-II Infantry Combat Vehicles are regarded as formations, established for striking into to enemy territory. They plan to form six new Armoured Regiments, comprising around 350 to 400 MBTs (some 55 to 60 Tanks bin e4ach Regiments) in next few months, while three mechanized Infantry battalions are also being set up, taking the tally of BMP-IIs to nearly 200. In addition, Ladakh-based 14th Corps of the Indian army has deployed an Armour Brigade at Chushul while it has also moved another Armour Brigade in the Siliguri corridor in Bengal with one Regimentry battalions, two Artillery Brigades, at least three Signal Coys three Medium Range MBRLBs etc. These formations have been provided with Night Vision tools a couple of months back, purchased at a cost of nearly three billion rupees.
The Daily Mail’s investigations further indicate that Colonel Vijay Dalal of Armoured Corps and who heads a Tank Unit in eastern Ladakh is often seen in a BMP, commanding three T-90 tanks in the forward areas on dubious assignments with a formation of three tanks. These tanks have been code named as Tipu Sultan, Pratabh and Aurangzeb. These T-90s reached the area in July this year and have the capacity to run in temperature as low as -45 Degree Celsius . Colonel Vijay is normally assisted by Major Singh who is his 2-IC. Another movement of mechanized columns from IV Corps and 71 Mountain Division from Missamari and 5 Mountain Division from Bomdila were seen heading for Eastern Ladakh’s forward areas in the last week of August.
These reports also indicate that Border Roads Task Force has constructed a smooth road from Tadadega to Henker in the Siang district. This road has emerged as a strategically very important communication for rapid movement of troops from Ground headquarters to forward border areas.
In Arunachal alone, Indian army, on nearly 100KMs long border with China, has increased number of posts from 40 to 65 and the strength of troops has been increased from 15000 to 25000. Major formations and activities are recorded in areas near Sumdorong Chu, Nathu La, Dibang, Tawang, Subansiri etc
Apart from these developments, though the Indian Army’s Aviation Wing has made some helipads and landing facilities, the IAF ( Indian Air Force) has been made very active in the region. Eastern Air Command of IAF and Army’s Aviation wing are running different Landing and missile facilities jointly while Western Air Command is also chipping in smartly.
Several small and gravel air strips and helipads have been upgraded to Advanced Landing Grounds(ALGs), enabling IAF to bring its transport and fighting jets and missile systems there.
Major developments have been made at Phasighat, Nyoma, Mechuka and Daulat Beg Oldi. Mechuka ALG has been made fully operational while it has support from ALGs at Ziro and Aalong and Walloong. Mechuka, that is merely around 30 Kms from border with China. The Mechuka ALG has already started housing aircraft like Transport plane C-130J and AN-32and heavy fighter jets like Sukhoi-30MKI or SU-30 and MiG -29 etc. Earlier the IAF aircraft were having limited landing facilities only at Leh,Tezpur, Bagdogra,Chhabua and Hashimara bases, with regard to China border.The other major development comes at Daulat Beg Oldi and it has also been upgraded to host the main aircraft of IAF while Nyoma has been established as Ladakh’s 2nd major Airbase.
The Daily Mail’s investigations further reveal that Indian army has placed several formations, equipped with country’s top missile system the BrahMos missile system at various points in Ladakh and Arunachal, mainly having air support from Phasighat, Mechuka and Nyoma as they have plans of launching the air version of the same via SU-30s. Each formation of Brahmose is reported to be equipped with 70 to100 missiles, five to seven mobile launchers on 12×12 heavy trucks and Mobile Command Posts (MCPs). With the latest modifications, BrahMos variant can take dive up to 80 degrees. Though the BrahMos surface to surface version is as heavy as 3-tonns, the air version is reported to be much lighter and suits SU-30s to carry.
The Daily Mail’s investigations reveal that India’s heating up of LOC with Pakistan is basically aimed at keeping the world attention towards Pakistan-India military tension and India’s military development against Pakistan so that its developments against China should go unchecked and un noticed.
