Defence Preparedness: Need to Enhance Capabilities

The recent Chinese intrusion at Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) has served as a wakeup call to the Indian establishment. In clear violation of the 2005 agreement the People’s Liberation Army established four tents on Raki Nala South of DBO on 15 April 2013. The Chinese withdrew on 05 May 2013, after three flag meetings and firm diplomatic protests by our Government and the media. The Chinese action was supposedly in response to infrastructure build up, patrolling and construction of fortifications by India, well within Indian Territory. This appears hypocritical seeing the extent of infrastructure build up by the Chinese in Tibet and Xinjiang Province.

While the faceoff at DBO has been resolved for now, it throws up wider issues of border management to ensure that such intrusions do not take place in future. Our strategic plans therefore need to be revisited. There are four distinct areas which need immediate focus to enhance our military preparedness. These are surveillance, improvement of infrastructure, modernisation of weapons and additional forces for high altitude regions. At the outset it must be noted that DBO is not connected by road. It is air maintained for six months in a year and thereafter by mules and porters is used to maintain the forces from Panamik across the Saserla Pass.

Presently the surveillance over the area is maintained essentially by patrols. Patrolling is primarily done by foot with vehicles being used in limited stretches. Sporadic helicopter flights and Heron Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are flown which do not give a continuous update. There is a need for utilising remote sensing satellites to provide near real time data over the area. The data must be available to our forces on the ground and any confirmation could be done by Heron UAVs. Communication linkages must be established between Sub Sector North and these surveillance devices to ensure near real time imagery. Apart from these, greater number of Long Range Reconnaissance and Observation System (LORROS) as also ELM-2129 and ELM 2130 Battle Field Surveillance Radars (BFSR) must be provided for continuous surveillance of the area. The Chinese have an excellent mobile net work communications in the area. There is a need to procure suitable interception equipment to gain inputs of their motives.

The infrastructure in this entire region needs drastic improvement. While the Chinese railway line is reaching Xigatse by 2015 and on to the Western areas by 2019 we have as on date no road to large portions of the border. Our road building activity is well behind schedule and it is time we carried out a feasibility for railway lines being extended from Srinagar through Zozila or from Chandigarh to Manali aross the Rohtang and Taglanla Pass. All conflicts in the mountains would entail cruise missiles, rockets (Smerch and Extended Range BM-21). Movement of these strategic and operational assets would entail better communications. Further, we must improve our Advanced Landing Grounds at DBO, Chusul and Nyoma. This will enable movement of essential war equipment to these areas.

The modernisation of the Indian Armed Forces must be accorded priority. The Army must modernise its Small Arms and expeditiously acquire 155 mm Ultra Light Howitzers from the US. These guns could be lifted in AN-32 or an IL-76 (could take two) and moved to these areas. The Army must also look into having an appropriate number of regiments of Cruise missiles in Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. There is an immediate requirement of additional troops of Heron UAVs, LORROS and BFSRs for effective surveillance over the target area. For appropriate air cover, the contract negotiations for the MMRCA must be expedited. Apart from this, all our helicopters operating in this area need to be replaced with state of the art equipment to operate in these altitudes.

The force structure merits tremendous importance. Currently ITBP mans large portions of the LAC and does not come under the Indian Army holistically. The LAC must be under the Indian Army till such time as the border is demarcated. We should also look into creating additional forces to cater for likely potential threats from China. Our current force levels vis-a-vis the Chinese is adequate for defence, but lacks an offensive component. This needs to be in place at the earliest with all elements of fire support, Attack Helicopters and Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

The Chinese have a sweet way of concealing their intentions. They believe in Sun Tzu who stated that the best way to win a war is by deception. The Chinese are constantly observing the Indian Armed Forces and will be dissuaded only when we are strong as they respect strength. In the absence of a National Strategic Doctrine, the Indian Armed Forces should leave no stone unturned to acquire Surveillance Equipment, build roads and rails, acquire state of the art equipment for the mountains and enhance our force levels to meet the Chinese threat. There is a need to fast track our procedures to develop our capabilities.

Maj Gen P K Chakravorty, (Retd) is a defence analyst based in NCR. Views expressed are personal