INTL India - China border crisis (Main Thread)

[Housecarl]

In Dunnigan's book, A Quick and Dirty Guide to War there was a comment about water not leaving craters....

Posted for fair use.....

India's deadly mountain-top showdown with China could lead to more military activity at sea

India and China's border dispute in the Himalayas is decades old. But more recent competition in the Indian Ocean is likely to grow.

www.businessinsider.com

India's deadly mountain-top showdown with China could lead to more military activity at sea

Christopher Woody

32 minutes ago

• Indian and Chinese troops came to blows last month in a disputed area along their mutual border in what was the deadliest such clash in more than 40 years.
• The disputed northern border has been a source of tension for decades and will remain so, but growing rifts between India and China mean the Indian Ocean will likely grow as an area of competition as well.

Clashes in June between India and China high in the western Himalayas saw the first deadly encounter between their forces there in four decades. Both sides appear to be disengaging, and India's northern border, parts of which are in dispute with Pakistan and China, will remain a point of focus for its military.

But India's southern maritime approaches, where increasing Chinese naval activity was already a concern, may gain even more attention from New Delhi in the wake of those clashes.

"On the military side, I think we have to stay on guard. The situation is very fragile, even tenuous," former Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, also former Indian ambassador to China and the US, said at an Asia Society Policy Institute event this week.
"Diplomatically, [India has to] keep our channels open with China, but at the same time, obviously, seek possibilities of closer convergence with friends and partners in the Indo-Pacific."

China is "clearly seeking to improve strategic advantage for itself through naval outreach and construction of ports and facilities," in that region, Rao added. "We know that, and all these [facilities] have clear military potential. So we need to leverage our assets, in the Indian Ocean region particularly, better."
Wary of China's active navy

Indian sailors aboard INS Kadmatt arrive in Manila for a four-day goodwill visit in the Philippines, October 3, 2017. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco
Like other countries, India has watched Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean warily, especially since a 2014 visit by Chinese submarines to Sri Lanka, where Beijing's growing influence has concerned India and others.

India's navy said in 2015 that it overlooks "strategic sea lanes" that link the country's "security and prosperity inextricably to the seas." The recent reorientation has been called "a tectonic shift in India's security calculus."

India has long sought to retain independence in international affairs, but increasingly contentious relations with China have affected that thinking.

A 73-day standoff between China and India in Doklam, a disputed area in the eastern Himalayas, in summer 2017 "clarified for India that signing, for example, some information-sharing agreements with the US could actually benefit India," Tanvi Madan, an expert on India at the Brookings Institution, said on a recent episode of the New Statesman's World Review podcast.

"India during Doklam saw the benefits of some of the capabilities that it had acquired from the US — the P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft, which flew right up to the India-China boundary for reconnaissance during that [standoff]," Madan said. "So you see then a decision, for example, to buy more of those."

An Indian P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, dedicated on November 13, 2015. Indian navy
Since Doklam, those P-8I aircraft have been more active in the Indian Ocean, where the Indian navy is working to increase its capabilities and to keep an eye on Chinese warships.

Indian officials have previously announced intentions to dramatically expand its navy, and this month, New Delhi said it would buy $5.5 billion in weaponry. Much of it is for the army and air force, reflecting continued emphasis on the land border, but navy projects include spare parts for Kilo-class submarines and other Russian-built warships.

In the wake of Doklam, India also signed a 20-year pact with the Seychelles to build naval infrastructure there. In late 2018, India and the US signed a communications agreement allowing closer coordination of military operations such as tracking subs.
India has been in talks with Japan on a military mutual logistics support deal, which New Delhi already agreed to with Australia and with the US.
"India's maritime enthusiasm and the Indo-Pacific approach is fairly recent. Many of these partnerships and engagements are foundational, but due to the absence of an active maritime-focused policies in the last decades, these agreements/partnerships are important," Darshana Baruah, an expert on the Indian Ocean at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said in an email.

Using maritime leverage

A runway controlled by the Indian military at Port Blair airport in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, July 4, 2015. REUTERS/Sanjeev Miglani
The weeks since the clashes in Ladakh have seen more calls for India to put that navy to use.

At the end of June, Sujan Chinoy, a former Indian diplomat, recommended "opening up" the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal to "friendly navies," incluing the US, Japan, and Australia, "to promote greater naval cooperation."

India's chief of naval staff, Adm. Karambir Singh, has said the navy told the government it could act in the Malacca Straits, which connect the Indian and Pacific oceans, in response to tension on the northern border. And this month, a former chief of naval staff, retired Adm. Arun Prakash, suggested using that "maritime leverage" to add "weight to India's negotiating position."

India has also engaged more with partners, which it has been historically cautious about doing. In June, India said it was open to Australia joining this year's Malabar naval exercises as an observer, something New Delhi has hesitated to do for years.

Recent tensions "will likely underscore to strategists in New Delhi and Beijing that they should be prepared for sustained competition across domains, and that India cannot take for granted its partnerships in the region," Joshua White, a professor of South Asia Studies at Johns Hopkins University, said in an email.

Indian navy corvette INS Kora sails behind guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton and the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during Malabar 2017, July 17, 2017. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Craig Z. Rodarte/Released)
"The decision to use India's advantage at sea is completely political and will depend on Delhi's political appetite," Baruah said. "There most certainly is an advantage and a role to be played, which can be maximized in collaboration with India's Indo-Pacific partners."

Logistics exchanges and the use of Indian Ocean islands are just a few potential areas of collaboration, and India is likely to pursue a combination of them, Baruah said. Partnering with the US and others in the region offers "options to maximise some of [India's] advantage in the maritime domain."

India has long valued strategic autonomy, and while it's likely to seek to retain some of that freedom, there's reason to think it will work more closely with an international coalition to counter an increasingly aggressive China, according to Shashi Tharoor, a former Indian minister of state for external affairs.

Baruah expected an increase in maritime cooperation either way.

"What I hope is that [the] Ladakh issue has highlighted the maritime option available to India," Baruah said. "I hope this provides a chance to raise the urgency to clear some of the bureaucratic challenges in recognizing the role of the navy and maritime partnerships in India's strategic and security interests."

 

[Housecarl]

Hummm........

Posted for fair use.....

India-China standoff: Wargaming a realistic threat assessment – Part 1

(In the present scenario, Differential Combat Ratios between the two Land Forces only leads to a Strategic Stalemate with advantage India. This fact is bound to usher in further de-escalation in the present standoff) The...

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

India-China standoff: Wargaming a realistic threat assessment – Part 1

July 11, 2020, 8:52 pm IST Dr Anil Kumar Lal in RakshakIndia | India | TOI

(In the present scenario, Differential Combat Ratios between the two Land Forces only leads to a Strategic Stalemate with advantage India. This fact is bound to usher in further de-escalation in the present standoff)

Author photo :Pangong Tso Lake in Eastern Ladakh.
(Red circle indicates general area of Fingers)

The present India-China stand-off is still precariously poised, as China knows it has reached a strategic stalemate and that its military cannot achieve any kind of breakthrough due to parity in differential combat ratios(In High Altitude mountains the attacker for success should preferably have more than 1: 6 differential combat ratio) of the land forces. Thus, the latest reports of de-escalation indicate the Chinese helplessness in doing so. The way out and the way ahead, which can be favourable to India, needs realistic analyses as evolving on the ground.

Let us take a glimpse of this region’s macro geopolitical dynamics, which has induced the Chinese to this skirmish. China’s Belt and Road initiative in the form of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) happens to be going through the Karakoram ranges and the Karakoram Pass, which are very close to the current areas of ingress by China. It is the protection of this CPEC that has become the trigger for this current conflict. Concurrently, the near completion of the Shyok-Darbukh-DBO road by India is making the Chinese uncomfortable as DBO could threaten their very concept of operationalizing the CPEC.

Current indicators had established induction of two-three Army Groups (10-15 divisions) by the PLA opposite Ladakh to cause a higher level of threat then hither-to-fore. Concurrently, a similar reaction by India by moving reinforcements to Ladakh albeit, of a much lesser quantity, has actually robbed the Chinese of any advantage they had tried to take by guile and deception. The forward amassing of this huge strength by the PLA Western Command has actually gone futile. The incoming winters will in fact create a huge logistical problem for the PLA. They are aware of this shortcoming and thus they have done this face saving de-escalation. In the present scenario from the military-to-military perspective, an ‘Operational Stalemate Phase’ with advantage India has already commenced, as otherwise the Chinese would have bashed through the Indian defences by now. Let us not forget that the Indian troops are the most battle-hardened High Altitude warriors unparalleled in the world.

Out of China’s holding of 75 Manouvre Divisions, they have the capacity to use at least half of them against India, depending on their objectives. The Various threat scenarios, which can emerge are discussed herewith. As per various reports, a minimum of two Army Groups or more have already moblised and have staged forward. It is appreciated that a minimum force level equivalent to about 10/15 Divisions have been inducted forward to an upgraded Middle-Level Threat (MLT).In addition, it is learned that Pakistan had also concentrated about two more Divisions in POK, and would have engaged Siachen from the North with a division through Skardu and may have employed another division to cut off the Srinager-Leh road by occupying the Kargil Heights/or any suitable mountain feature. There is always a likelihood of the PLA, simultaneously threatening areas at DBO, the Galwan complex, the Fingers Area, Chusul, and Demchok/Chumar. Thereafter, PLA would have used his mechanized elements in conjunction with Infantry elements to cut off Leh from the Manali road axis. While this envelopment manouvre is done, the PLA would try to bypasses India’s strong defences to avoid an attritional war along our well-prepared concrete reinforced steel bunkers. This envelopment manouvre combined with attritional war would be aimed to cut off the entire 14 Corps to include the area from Kargil to Leh-Chusul-Demchok-Chumar/heights dominating the Manali road. In addition, a similar manouvre in the Eastern sector can be made by the remaining balance of PLA Army Groups to cut off India’s strategic corridors and thus threaten Arunachal Pradesh.

Now let us war-game yet another extreme situation where the Chinese have uttered many times that next time, they would aim to disseminate India. This is a ‘two-notch up’ Scenario of a High Level Threat (HLT) by inducting about half of their total land forces or a little more than 35/40 Divisions into the PLA Western Command. In Chinese perception, with this level of force, they would be able to penetrate through the main defences and thereafter break out towards the heart land of India with the help of a blitzkrieg by mechanized elements. (Famous blitzkrieg type of manouvre was done by German forces for the invasion of Poland during World War II).One suspects that the opening up of the Nepal axis is an indicator of such manouvres so as to avoid the Himalayan defenses.It appears, the PLA is speculating to create a new avenue of attack through Nepal and wishing for unhindered movement so as to reach the plains (south of Bareilly) in a quick time. This again is a Chinese pipedream, as in fact, by this over reach they themselves are likely to be cut off themselves and will have to surrender large troops because India has enough mobile punch to handle such contingencies.

Nevertheless, the above quantum of expected threat, the Indian defenses in the Himalayas stand invincible. It actually does not affect much on the outcome of the battle because of the differential combat ratios being in India’s favour. The gradient of the High Altitude terrain, rocky outcrops, and the logistics drag, all cumulatively affect the differential combat ratio necessitating much larger quantum of troops by the attacker as against the defender. It is precisely for this reason that in spite of air and fire superiority by the US military forces, the Taliban have survived the US military operations in Afghanistan, where the rocky and undulating terrain inherently protects the infantry soldier. A similar situation persists in the Himalayas where ground troops cannot be routed by air and missile forces alone, which invites the attacker to have close hand-to-hand combat. This phenomenon therefore automatically affects the differential combat ratio in favour of the defender. To this factor is added the motivation and battle seasoning of the troops. In military calculus, the attacking troops in High Altitude Mountains require a minimum combat superiority of 1:6, although ideally, it should be 1:9 or still better to 1:12 in difficult areas like Siachen. Therefore, strictly speaking, the statistical military matrix (collated data from the battles all over the world) talks of the necessity by the attacker, to garner a minimum superiority of at least 1:6 for any success in High Altitude Mountains. Therefore, a holistic assessment of the troop ratios, gives India the edge. (The US assessments on the combat ratios also declare the Indian army to be having an edge.)Thus, the current situation is a stalemate on the LAC, with advantage to India. Therefore, India should bargain for the complete eviction of the PLA ingress.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.




-----

Posted for fair use.....

India-China standoff: Wargaming a realistic threat assessment – Part 2

Out of existing available deployment on the LAC, India can almost treble the same at key locations. Contingency positions are already prepared to absorb these troops. Reinforced defense posturing would accrue to about 15-18 Mountain...

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

India-China standoff: Wargaming a realistic threat assessment – Part 2

July 11, 2020, 8:55 pm IST Dr Anil Kumar Lal in RakshakIndia | India | TOI


Out of existing available deployment on the LAC, India can almost treble the same at key locations. Contingency positions are already prepared to absorb these troops. Reinforced defense posturing would accrue to about 15-18 Mountain divisions approximately deployed on the entire LAC, even after catering for the Pakistan front. Now keeping the differential combat ratios, it would necessitate application of about 85-90 fresh PLA divisions against India for any decisive offensive (HLT) battle in future. However, this ratio can be marginally reduced to about 80 PLA divisions by recycling of troops. Thus in actuality, the Chinese will always fall short by 30-35 divisions for any decisive victory. This simple calculation further goes in India’s favour because India has battle-experienced and acclimatized troops over many years. Therefore, with a sense of guarantee one can vouch that the Indian Himalayan wall created by the Indian Army is impregnable and invincible. This reality appears to have dawned on the Chinese leadership to decide on disengagement, as on 06 July 2020.Moreover, logistics is yet another great hindrance across the Himalayas for sustenance of PLA forces with extended lines of communication through the Himalayas. Because of long lines of maintenance, and the coming winters this season, the Chinese will suffer economic costs and attrition for maintaining such large amount of forces. This will create an unaffordable logistics nightmare for the PLA.This predicament has compelled the PLA, to not only disengage, but also de-escalate to their permanent locations.

To further strengthen the above factors, India should adopt an ‘Offensive –Defensive’ posture. What is important is to task at least one Brigade per reinforcement Division for Local Counter-attack and shallow objectives offensive at two to three points. This will then ensure that we can seize lightly held/unheld areas as a bargaining asset with the Chinese. Urgently we should also create an Adhoc strike corps for the Ladakh areas/Central sector leaving the newly raised truncated 17 Corps for the Arunachal area. We should immediately create this capability and let China know that we have one Strike corps each for the Ladakh and Eastern area. This will create a ‘Conventional Dissuasive Deterrence’ against China and will create a dilemma in their minds.

In addition, we should prepare and upgrade a ready state of Nuclear Weapons. We have to create nuclear thresholds ground lines to apply deterrence. This nuclear posturing is very important. An ambiguous statement will be more beneficial like the Chinese always do, which can translate into a policy of a First Strike at political targets contrary to Chinese strategy of ‘Counter-Force targeting’ which translates to the use of Tactical Nuclear Weapons. This will provide us strategic deterrence and strategic space for negotiations. In addition, at selected areas where PLA may try a breakthrough, we have to prepare to counter chemical/bio-agents by instituting defensive measures to avoid a surprise.

The PLA has formed an Integrated Command against the Indian front In Tibet. China has done restructuring. The earlier PLA deployments were about 5 Divisions plus three reserves of 24 Army Group at Chengdu MR and about 8xDivisions plus 5 division as a reserve of 2 Army Group located earlier at Lanzhou MR. Both have been now merged to form an Integrated command against the Indian front in Tibet. The Tibet Military Command, is under the leadership of the Chinese ground forces, which suggests that the command may undertake some kind of military combat mission in the future.As per Global Times: “This new role and up-gradation of higher rank indicates that this command is gearing up for combat operations in an expanded Tibet region. This further implies that the role of protecting the CPEC up to Gwadar/Karachi will delve on this new upgraded command structure. It also implies that China is creating the capacity to fight an integrated informationalised warfare on the Tibet front. One cannot overlook that China is creating the capacity to expand the Tibet military region into India at both Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh.The answer is that India too needs to reorganize to create an integrated command handling India’s Eastern front. Presently, there are about four different command Headquarters and multiple ministries/elements handling the China front from DBO in Ladakh to Jairampur/Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh. What we have to do is to integrate the formations/ paramilitary units to either the Northern Command or the Eastern Command of the army. This will ensure unity and uniformity in command across the LAC especially for the Central sector.

In conclusion, after war-gaming the various realistic scenarios and debating the combat ratios/logistics lag, it is clear that for any high- level offensive, the Chinese are likely to face many constraints. These cannot be waived off. Resultantly, there will be a strategic stalemate. Such hard fought battles always last a long time giving a window to the defender for mustering the world reaction to neutralize China with a bleeding nose as was seen during the Galwan fistfights. Technological advantage, which China claims, may not be true for High Altitude rugged mountains, which inherently give full protection from air and artillery bombardment to the ground soldiers. Therefore, the thought to use diplomacy to enable military disengagement may not stand true. In fact, vice-versa the strength of our military today, gives us enough space for strategic and diplomatic negotiations. There is bound to be complete disengagement very soon. In times to come, this impasse in the Himalayas will facilitate the concept of a pivot in Asia, where the maritime domination by US and allied forces can become the key factor for Asian security and peace.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

 

[Zagdid]

India proposes to build road in Bhutan’s ‘Yeti territory’ which China claimed recently

The road, which has strategic significance, will reduce the distance between Guwahati & Tawang by 150 kms, ET has learnt. This will enable India to deploy troops faster to respond to any military moves by China, not only across Tawang but also towards the eastern region of Bhutan.

economictimes.indiatimes.com

India proposes to build road in Bhutan’s ‘Yeti territory’ which China claimed recently
By Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury Last Updated: Jul 14, 2020, 09:41 AM IST

NEW DELHI: India has proposed to build a road in Bhutan’s ‘Yeti territory’ — which China claimed recently — enabling New Delhi to quickly access Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China.

The road, which has strategic significance, will reduce the distance between Guwahati and Tawang by 150 kilometres, ET has learnt.

This will enable India to deploy troops faster to respond to any military moves by China, not only across Tawang, but also towards the eastern region of Bhutan.

China’s new claim of territory in far-eastern Bhutan is linked to its claim on 90,000 sq km of territory in Arunachal Pradesh, according to experts familiar with the eastern sector of the India-China boundary.

China claims Tawang as part of its policy to have absolute control over Tibet. The sixth Dalai Lama was born in Tawang and the current Dalai Lama fled to India via Tawang.

India has earmarked Border Roads Organisation to build the road, which is important for Bhutan as well. The road will connect Lumla near Tawang with Trashigang in Bhutan. New Delhi and Thimphu have shared security interests.

In June, China tried to block funding by an international agency for the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in far-eastern Bhutan. It claimed that the sanctuary as well as the areas around it were parts of disputed territory.

On its part, Thimphu served a demarche, stating that the territorial dispute between Bhutan and China were limited only to 269 sq km in the western sector and 495 sq km in the north-central sector of the boundary between them. It asserted that no part of its territory in the eastern sector was ever on the agenda of its boundary negotiation.

The Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in Trashigang district in far-eastern Bhutan and the areas around it have traditionally been believed to be home to the mythical ‘Yeti’ or ‘Migoi’ in Bhutanese. The area is also home to Brokpas — a semi-nomadic population which migrated from Tibet in the 14th century.

Bhutan and China have been negotiating to settle the boundary dispute since 1984. Till last month, China never registered any claim on Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary or any other area in eastern Bhutan during the 24 rounds of boundary negotiations between 1984 and 2016. The boundary negotiations have remained in cold storage since the Dokalam crisis of 2017.

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1284523434953838593

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1284523434953838593

 

[Plain Jane]

Floods in India, Nepal displace nearly four million people, at least 189 dead

Nearly four million people in India's northeastern state of Assam and neighbouring Nepal have been displaced by heavy flooding from monsoon rains, with dozens missing as deaths rose to at least 189, government officials said on Sunday.

www.reuters.com

ENVIRONMENT
JULY 19, 2020 / 3:16 AM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO
Floods in India, Nepal displace nearly four million people, at least 189 dead

Zarir Hussain, Gopal Sharma
3 MIN READ

GUWAHATI, India/KATHMANDU, Nepal (Reuters) - Nearly four million people in India’s northeastern state of Assam and neighbouring Nepal have been displaced by heavy flooding from monsoon rains, with dozens missing as deaths rose to at least 189, government officials said on Sunday.

The overflowing Brahmaputra River, which flows through China’s Tibet, India and Bangladesh, has damaged crops and triggered mudslides, displacing millions of people, officials said.

More than 2.75 million people in Assam have been displaced by three waves of floods since late May that has claimed 79 lives after two more deaths were reported overnight, a state government official said.

“The flood situation remains critical with most of the rivers flowing menacingly above the danger mark,” Assam water resources Minister Keshab Mahanta told Reuters.

Assam is facing the twin challenge of combating floods and the coronavirus pandemic. Out of 33 districts, 25 remained affected after the current wave of flooding, beginning a fortnight ago.


India is grappling with the novel coronavirus, which has infected nearly 1.1 million people and 26,816 have died from the COVID-19 disease, government data showed on Sunday.

In neighbouring Nepal, the government asked residents along its southern plains on Sunday to remain alert as heavy monsoon rains were expected to pound the Himalayan nation where more than 100 have died in floods and landslides since June, officials said.

Some 110 people were killed and another 100 injured as landslides and flash floods washed or swept away homes, upended roads and bridges and displaced hundreds of others in 26 of the country’s 77 districts, police said.

Home ministry official Murari Wasti said the death toll was expected to rise as 48 people were still missing.

“Search and rescue teams are looking for those who are missing in different places but chances of finding them alive are slim,” Wasti told Reuters.

Barun Paudel of the weather forecasting office in the capital, Kathmandu, said heavy rains were expected to pound much of the mainly mountainous nation in the next four days.

“We have urged residents to remain alert against possible landslides and floods,” he said.

Landslides and flash floods are common in Nepal, India’s Assam and Bihar states during the June-September annual rainy season.

Reporting by Zarir Hussain in Guwahati, Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu; Writing by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Jacqueline Wong
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

 

[jward]

IAF may deploy Rafale fighters in Ladakh sector amid border row

By PTI

| Updated: Sunday, July 19, 2020, 23:50 [IST]









New Delhi, July 19: Top commanders of the Indian Air Force will carry out an in-depth review of the country''s air defence system at a three-day conference beginning Wednesday which will include possible deployment of the first batch of Rafale fighter jets in the Ladakh sector in view of the bitter border row with China, military sources said.

Representational Image

The main focus of the commanders'' conference will be to deliberate on the overall situation eastern Ladakh and on ways to enhance the IAF''s combat prowess over the country''s air space in all sensitive sectors along the de-facto border with China including in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand, they said.


The commanders are expected to specifically deliberate on deployment of first batch of around six Rafale jets in the Ladakh sector by early next month as the aircraft are set to join the IAF''s fighter fleet by end of July, the sources said.


India will pay for govt's cowardice: Rahul Gandhi's latest on China


"The commanders will also review the evolving security architecture in the region and ways to boost IAF''s combat capability," said a source.


The conference will be chaired by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also expected to address the IAF commanders.


The IAF has been carrying out night time combat air patrols over the eastern Ladakh region in the last few weeks, in an apparent message to China that it was ready to deal with any eventualities in the mountainous region.


A number of IAF platforms participated in a military drill in Stakna in eastern Ladakh on Friday during the defence minister''s visit to the region. The exercise showcased integrated combat prowess of the Army and the Indian Air Force in dealing with complex security scenarios in the high altitude terrain.


The IAF has deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China notwithstanding disengagement of troops by Chinese military from a number of friction points.


The IAF has deployed Apache attack choppers as well as Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to transport troops to various forward locations


It has also pressed into service a fleet of C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft as well as C-130J Super Hercules in transporting heavy military equipment and weaponry to several forward bases in the region.


The sources said the commanders will also deliberate on preparations to received the first batch of the Rafale jets from France. The jets are expected to reach India by end of this month.


The first squadron of the aircraft will be stationed at Ambala air force station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF.



The aircraft is capable of carrying a range of potent weapons. European missile maker MBDA''s Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile and Scalp cruise missile will be the mainstay of the weapons package of the Rafale jets.






The disengagement process between Indian and Chinse militaries began on July 6 after a telephonic conversation between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi the previous day. Doval and Wang are Special Representatives for the boundary talks.

posted for fair use

IAF may deploy Rafale fighters in Ladakh sector amid border row

Top commanders of the Indian Air Force will carry out an in-depth review of the country''s air defence system at a three-day conference beginning Wednesday which will include possible deployment of the first batch of Rafale fighter jets in the Ladakh sector in view of the bitter border row with...

www.oneindia.com

 

[northern watch]

 

[jward]

The Cavell Group
@TCG_CrisisRisks
1h

India/China: US Navy PASSEX passage exercise by USS Nimitz carrier group with Indian Navy ships tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1285075097217163264

View: https://twitter.com/TCG_CrisisRisks/status/1285075097217163264?s=20

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1285624811864064001

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1285624811864064001

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1285625202588758016

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1285625202588758016

 

[danielboon]

Indian Navy to move MiG-29K fighter jets to north amid border row with China
The Indian Navy has been part of the military’s ongoing efforts in Ladakh sector, which has been the focus of the standoff since 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash on June 15.
INDIA Updated: Jul 21, 2020 19:04 IST

HT Correspondent
Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Some of the Russian-origin jets are being moved from Goa to Indian Air Force (IAF) bases in the north, keeping in mind the security scenario, an official said.(PTI File Photo )

The Indian Navy is deploying its MiG-29K fighter jets to key air force bases in the northern part of the country amid border tensions with China in the sensitive Ladakh sector, people familiar with developments said on Tuesday.
The navy has a fleet of more than 40 MiG-29K fighters, of which 18 are deployed on the country’s sole aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, and the rest are based in Goa.
Some of the Russian-origin jets are being moved from Goa to Indian Air Force (IAF) bases in the north, keeping in mind the security scenario, an official said. The IAF has moved several fighters from airbases in north India to Ladakh sector as part of a plan to strengthen the military posture there, said a second official.
It couldn’t immediately be ascertained what role the naval fighters would be used for.

“If assets and operational pilots are available, why not utilise them,” said naval affairs expert Captain (retired) DK Sharma.
The Indian Navy has been part of the military’s ongoing efforts in Ladakh sector, which has been the focus of the standoff since 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash on June 15.
The navy’s P-8I maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft have been used for surveillance of Ladakh sector, while their primary role encompasses carrying out anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and surveillance and reconnaissance of the oceans. The P-8Is, imported from the US, carried out similar surveillance missions during the 2017 Doklam standoff with China.

The navy has also been active in the Indian Ocean, where it is keeping a close watch on possible Chinese naval activities. On Monday, a US Navy carrier strike group, led by USS Nimitz, conducted maritime drills with Indian warships in the Indian Ocean. The passage exercise involved a total of eight Indian and US warships.
The drills came at a time when tensions have mounted over China’s activities in South China Sea, where the US Navy has conducted a major exercise involving two carrier strike groups.
The navy has been on operational alert in the Indian Ocean, where scores of warships are ready for any task in the aftermath of the border row. It has positioned warships along critical sea lanes of communication and choke points under its mission-based deployment model, and the vessels can be diverted for any mission.

Indian Navy to move MiG-29K fighter jets to north amid border row with China

The Indian Navy has been part of the military’s ongoing efforts in Ladakh sector, which has been the focus of the standoff since 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash on June 15.

www.hindustantimes.com

 

[danielboon]

21 JULY 2020 Last Updated at 10:03 PM | SOURCE: PTI
US monitoring situation between India and China ''very closely'': Esper


By Lalit K Jha (Eds: Updating with more details)
Washington, Jul 21 (PTI) Describing the Chinese military''s aggressive activities in the region as "destabilising", US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper on Tuesday said America was "very closely" monitoring the situation between India and China along the Line of Actual Control.
Esper also highlighted the "increased" military cooperation with India and called it as "one of the most important defence relationships of the 21th century."

He made the remarks during his interaction with London-based think-tank International Institute for Strategic Studies amid China''s renewed military assertiveness in eastern Ladakh as well as in the South China Sea.
"We are obviously monitoring the situation between India and China very closely, what''s happening along the Line of Actual Control and we are very pleased to see both sides are trying to de-escalate the situation," Esper said in response to a question on the tension between the two neighbours.
Asserting that the People’s Liberation Army''s activities in the region are “destabilising”, he said that it “continues its aggressive behaviour in the East and South China Seas.”
In the midst of India''s border row with China, a US Navy carrier strike group led by nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz carried out a military drill with a fleet of Indian warships off the coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Monday.
The USS Nimitz is the world''s largest warship and the exercise between the two navies assumed significance as it took place in the midst of tensions between India and China in eastern Ladakh.
Esper said that the joint exercise between the Indian Navy and the USS Nimitz in the Indian Ocean just shows the growing cooperation between the two countries.
"I want to highlight our increased defence cooperation with India, one of the most important defence relationships of the 21th century. We conducted our first-ever joint military exercise last November. As we speak today, USS Nimitz is conducting a combined exercise with Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean, demonstrating our shared commitment to stronger naval cooperation and support to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said.
"We firmly believe no single nation can – or should – dominate the public commons, and we will continue to work alongside our allies and partners to support a prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific for all," he said.
"We also continue to grow our defence sales and look forward to a robust 2+2 ministerial dialogue later this year to build on this progress,” he said on US-India defence cooperation.
Under promoting a more networked region, Esper said that the US is encouraging Indo-Pacific nations to expand their own interregional security relationships and networks of like minded partners.
For example, over the past several years, Japan has provided maritime vessels to the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bangladesh bolstering their maritime security. "In June, Australia and India finalised an important logistical support in agreement," he said.
"Our carriers have been in the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific since World War II. We will back the sovereignty of our friends and partners,” he added.
Esper said that to support its Indo-Pacific strategy, the Trump Administration looks forward to working with the Congress to establish a Pacific Deterrence Initiative that will prioritise its investments, maintain a credible deterrent and demonstrate and enduring whole of government commitment to the region.
"The US efforts across the Indo-Pacific and prepared it well to respond to the prevailing crisis: the COVID-19 pandemic. The US government has committed more than USD 325 million in coronavirus released support for its Indo Pacific partners," he said.
When asked, how much is the US worried about nuclear and crisis stability between India and Pakistan, Esper said that obviously, when there are two countries with nuclear capabilities and tension between them, it''s something the US watches very closely.
"I also talk to my Indian and Pakistani counterparts fairly routinely. This is just something that you got to keep a close watch on because nobody wants to see a conflict between two countries. And certainly not one that could escalate. I don''t see any indications right now that that''s happening at all. But, it is something that we watch, not just in that part of the world, but in other parts of the world,” he said.
Esper said China’s unlawful land reclamation and military exercises on and around disputed features in the South China Sea are patently inconsistent with its commitments set out in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the region.
"The Chinese Communist Party continues to engage in systemic rule-breaking, coercion and other malign activities,” he said.
China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in both the South China Sea and the East China Sea. Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region.
Esper asked the Chinese leaders to abide by the international laws and norms that China – and the Chinese people – have benefited greatly from over the years. “And while we hope the CCP will change its ways, we must be prepared for the alternative,” he cautioned.
Relations between the US and China have taken a turn for the worse in recent months over Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Fresh concerns over China''s crackdown of its Uygur Muslim community in Xinjiang and Beijing imposing a controversial national security law in Hong Kong have also raised tensions.

Outlook India Magazine Online- Read News India, Latest News Analysis, World, Sports, Entertainment | Best Online Magazine India

Outlook covers the latest India news, analysis, business news and long-form stories on culture, money market and personal finance. Read India's best online magazine.

www.outlookindia.com

 

[Housecarl]

Indian Navy to move MiG-29K fighter jets to north amid border row with China
The Indian Navy has been part of the military’s ongoing efforts in Ladakh sector, which has been the focus of the standoff since 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash on June 15.
INDIA Updated: Jul 21, 2020 19:04 IST

HT Correspondent
Hindustan Times, New Delhi

Some of the Russian-origin jets are being moved from Goa to Indian Air Force (IAF) bases in the north, keeping in mind the security scenario, an official said.(PTI File Photo )

The Indian Navy is deploying its MiG-29K fighter jets to key air force bases in the northern part of the country amid border tensions with China in the sensitive Ladakh sector, people familiar with developments said on Tuesday.
The navy has a fleet of more than 40 MiG-29K fighters, of which 18 are deployed on the country’s sole aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, and the rest are based in Goa.
Some of the Russian-origin jets are being moved from Goa to Indian Air Force (IAF) bases in the north, keeping in mind the security scenario, an official said. The IAF has moved several fighters from airbases in north India to Ladakh sector as part of a plan to strengthen the military posture there, said a second official.
It couldn’t immediately be ascertained what role the naval fighters would be used for.

“If assets and operational pilots are available, why not utilise them,” said naval affairs expert Captain (retired) DK Sharma.
The Indian Navy has been part of the military’s ongoing efforts in Ladakh sector, which has been the focus of the standoff since 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash on June 15.
The navy’s P-8I maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft have been used for surveillance of Ladakh sector, while their primary role encompasses carrying out anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and surveillance and reconnaissance of the oceans. The P-8Is, imported from the US, carried out similar surveillance missions during the 2017 Doklam standoff with China.

The navy has also been active in the Indian Ocean, where it is keeping a close watch on possible Chinese naval activities. On Monday, a US Navy carrier strike group, led by USS Nimitz, conducted maritime drills with Indian warships in the Indian Ocean. The passage exercise involved a total of eight Indian and US warships.
The drills came at a time when tensions have mounted over China’s activities in South China Sea, where the US Navy has conducted a major exercise involving two carrier strike groups.
The navy has been on operational alert in the Indian Ocean, where scores of warships are ready for any task in the aftermath of the border row. It has positioned warships along critical sea lanes of communication and choke points under its mission-based deployment model, and the vessels can be diverted for any mission.

Indian Navy to move MiG-29K fighter jets to north amid border row with China

The Indian Navy has been part of the military’s ongoing efforts in Ladakh sector, which has been the focus of the standoff since 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent clash on June 15.

www.hindustantimes.com

I wonder how many of those MiG-29Ks are wired for Indian "special munitions"?.....

 

[Zagdid]

IAF Rafales to get French ‘HAMMER’ missiles. What makes them deadly?

IAF is, reportedly, ordering AASM HAMMER weapons on an emergency basis

www.theweek.in

IAF Rafales to get French ‘HAMMER’ missiles. What makes them deadly?
IAF is, reportedly, ordering AASM HAMMER weapons on an emergency basis

Web Desk July 23, 2020 15:31 IST

A Rafale fighter testing an AASM | French Defence Procurement Agency

The Indian Air Force has already indicated it wants its new fleet of Rafale fighters from France to be ready for operations as soon as the jets arrive. Therefore, attention has turned to capabilities the new fighters will offer.

It had been reported earlier this month that France had begun shipping the Meteor long-range air-to-air missile and the Scalp stealth cruise missile to India to arm the Rafale.

On Thursday, news agency ANI reported the Indian Air Force is ordering another unique weapon from France. ANI reported that the Indian Air Force is ordering the AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) air-to-ground missiles from France. The order is being processed on an emergency basis.

"The order for the HAMMER missiles is being processed and the French authorities have agreed to supply them to us at a short notice for our Rafale combat aircraft," ANI quoted government sources as saying. "In view of the urgent requirement for these missiles by the Air Force, the French authorities would be delivering the systems to India from the existing stock meant for some other customer," ANI added.

"The HAMMER would give India the capability to take out any bunkers or hardened shelters in any type of terrain including the mountainous locations such as Eastern Ladakh," ANI reported.

Like the Israeli-supplied SPICE smart bombs that the Indian Air Force used in the Balakot attack last year, the AASM HAMMER is actually an add-on kit to an existing 'gravity' bomb.

But unlike the SPICE, the AASM HAMMER is unique in the sense that it has features of both a missile and a glide bomb. Safran, the French company manufacturing the AASM HAMMER, claims it "adds a propulsion kit and a choice of guidance kits to standard bombs”.

The AASM HAMMER is a modular weapon, which can be equipped with a variety of guidance modes such as satellite guidance, infra-red seeker and laser. According to Safran, the AASM HAMMER can be fired at ranges of anywhere between 20km to 70km, enabling the launch aircraft to stay out of range of enemy air defences.

The AASM HAMMER kit can be fitted to bombs of different sizes: 125 kg, 250 kg, 500 kg and 1,000 kg, with the last type meant for 'bunker buster' missions. The fact that it is propelled allows the AASM HAMMER to be used at low altitudes or in hilly terrain, unlike normal bombs that are unpropelled.

A Rafale can carry up to six AASM HAMMER weapons of 250kg weight, which can hit six targets simultaneously.

 

[jward]

Satellite images reveal continued Chinese military build-up in Tibet and Aksai Chin areas
According to an assessment, Chinese troops appear to be getting ready for long & harsh winters, making the Indian Army cautious about the disengagement process.

Snehesh Alex Philip 27 July, 2020

On 21 July, Twitter user @detresfa posted this satellite image, claiming it to be from Shiquanhe in Tibet Autonomous Region where PLA build-up is seen | Photo: Twitter




New Delhi: Indian satellite images as well as those procured from friendly countries have shown a large concentration of troops in the Tibet Autonomous Region and the use of possible tunnels to amass equipment, ThePrint has learnt.
Sources in the defence and security establishment said the additional build-up of troops and equipment in rear locations, especially with “substantial quantum” of troops in the Aksai Chin area, is what is making the Indian Army cautious about the disengagement process.
According to an assessment, Chinese troops appear to be getting ready for long and harsh winters.

The sources said this is the reason why some defence planners think China is dragging its feet over the talks. As reported by ThePrint earlier, there is a fear that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is intentionally delaying the disengagement process to sustain it till winters and then open a new front, possibly in the Northast.
Also read: Some deception, some posturing — the message from the Chinese military build-up in Ladakh
Helipads have come up, fresh construction going on
A Twitter handle @detresfa had, on 21 July, posted satellite images from Shiquanhe in Tibet showing PLA build-up, “suspected to be part of the supporting role of the ongoing” tensions at the LAC in Ladakh.

Images from Shiquanhe, Gar County, #Tibet spot a possible #China PLA deployment (large) suspected to be part of supporting role to the ongoing #IndiaChinaFaceoff
Location :- 32°28'28.1"N 80°07'28.6"E pic.twitter.com/pFYaqDAHol
— d-atis (@detresfa_) July 21, 2020

Sources confirmed that there was indeed a Chinese build-up, which is believed to be at least a brigade’s strength (about 5,000 troops and equipment). They added that helipads have also come up in the area, and fresh construction is going on.


The sources said while a certain level of disengagement has been done at face-off sites, the PLA is strengthening its positions in rear locations.


This, they say, is an indication that China is preparing for a possible winter stay, and that the PLA could return to areas it has retreated from.

The sources said while PLA quickly moved out of the Galwan Valley, it is felt that this was largely due to the increased flow in the Galwan river that made the terrain tough to maintain troops, as reported by ThePrint earlier.

Such was the Chinese preparation that their troops came into the Galwan Valley with even boots meant for water.

Asked about future possibilities, a source said a lot of planning is being done keeping in mind the best-case, worst-case and not-so-bad scenarios.

The Indian Army is also preparing for the winters in full swing. It has been on a massive drive to ensure adequate supply of the right gear and adequate ration for the over 30,000 additional troops deployed at multiple places along the LAC.
posted for fair use

Satellite images reveal continued Chinese military build-up in Tibet and Aksai Chin areas

According to an assessment, Chinese troops appear to be getting ready for long & harsh winters, making the Indian Army cautious about the disengagement process.

theprint.in

 

[Zagdid]

India’s first batch of Rafale fighters is on its way from France

The aircraft are slated to make the trip in two stages, with air-to-air refueling during the first leg provided by a French Air Force A330 Phenix MRTT tanker.

www.defensenews.com

India’s first batch of Rafale fighters is on its way from France
By: Christina Mackenzie   3 hours ago

The first five of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft bought by India from France's Dassault Aviation are being flown from the manufacturing plant by Indian Air Force pilots to India between July 27-29. (Dassault Aviation photo)


PARIS – The first five of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft bought by India from France's Dassault Aviation are being flown from the manufacturing plant by Indian Air Force pilots to India between July 27-29.

The three single-seater and two twin-seater aircraft are slated to make the trip in two stages, with air-to-air refueling during the first leg provided by a French Air Force A330 Phenix MRTT tanker.

Also accompanying the Rafales is a second MRTT carrying 70 respirators, 100,000 test kits and 10 military health professionals to help India with its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pilots took off from the Dassault Aviation Mérignac facility near Bordeaux in western France and will land at Ambala Air Force Station in northern India, some 125 miles north of Delhi, on July 29, according to the Indian Air Force official Twitter account.

The first leg is to the Al Dhafra airbase in the United Arab Emirates where the aircraft landed on Monday afternoon.

They were sent off in the presence of Shri Jawed Ashraf, the Indian ambassador to France, and Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, who saluted the “amazing efficiency and determination of the Indian Air Force and Indian Ministry of Defense, despite this unprecedented world health crisis” to ensure that the program remained on track.
The Indian Air Force team flying the aircraft have been training in France for almost three years. The aircraft will integrate into the country’s No 17 Squadron, dubbed “Golden Arrows.”

 

[Zagdid]

In A First, India Deploys Squadron Of Missile-Firing T-90 Battle Tanks At Last Outpost In Daulat Beg Oldi

In a significant ramp-up of the defence preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India has for the first time deployed a squadron of missile firing T-90 battle tanks at Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), reports Hindustan Times

swarajyamag.com

In A First, India Deploys Squadron Of Missile-Firing T-90 Battle Tanks At Last Outpost In Daulat Beg Oldi
bySwarajya Staff-Jul 27, 2020 03:34 AM

In a significant ramp-up of the defence preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India has for the first time deployed a squadron of missile firing T-90 battle tanks at Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), reports Hindustan Times.
Along with T-90 battle tanks, India has also deployed a full brigade of 4,000 soldiers and armoured personnel carriers at India’s last outpost in DBO which lies at a height of 16,000 feet, just south of the Karakoram pass on the banks of Chip-Chap river.

The report states that special equipment have been used to deliver the said artillery as some bridges on the Darbuk-Shyok-DBO road cannot handle the weight of a 46 ton T-90 tank.
The move is aimed at preventing possible Chinese aggression close to the Shaksgam-Karakoram pass axis. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has also deployed close to 50,000 troops in Aksai Chin region across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

It should be noted that the Indian Army had already deployed M777 155mm howitzer guns and 130 mm guns at DBO after China had launched misadventures at patrolling points 14, 15, 16, 17 and the Pangong Tso finger areas.

The Indian Army is keenly watching the movement and deployment from the PLA while matching the troop strength in the region. The report quotes a top official as saying that the disengagement is work-in-progress with each side verifying the movements of the other.

The report further quotes top commanders as suggesting that the PLA could seek linking of the G-219 (Lhasa-Kashgar) highway to Karakoram pass through the Shaksgam pass.

“Once the link is completed, the PLA will put pressure on DBO from the north as it needs a buffer to prevent the Indian Army from targeting the road,” says the report.

 

[jward]

News
News Analysis
Rafale superior to Chinese J-20: A comparison of the two fighter jets




Rafale superior to Chinese J-20: A comparison of the two fighter jets
Even though Rafale is a 4.5 generation aircraft and China claims that its J-20 is a 5th generation, the Rafale has enough capabilities to counter the Chinese premier aircraft, say experts.

Abhishek Bhalla New DelhiJuly 28, 2020UPDATED: July 28, 2020 10:30 IST

The first batch of five Rafale fighter aircraft on Monday took off from France for India. (PTI)

The first batch of five Rafale jets took off from France on Monday starting its journey home. The jets are expected to be operationally ready when it lands in Ambala, a new home for the fighter aircraft, on July 29 amidst the ongoing tussle between India and China.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has made it clear that the pilots, ground crew and the fighter will be operationally ready as the jets reach India.

Even though Rafale is a 4.5 generation aircraft and China claims that its J-20 is a 5th generation, the Rafale has enough capabilities to counter the Chinese premier aircraft, say experts.


Rafale can counter China’s premier fighter jet Chengdu J-20
"Rafale is far superior to the J-20, the Chengdu fighter of China. Even though it’s believed to be a 5th generation fighter, it is probably at best a 3.5 generation aircraft. It's got a third generation engine as we have in the Sukhoi," said Air Marshal R Nambiar (retd) who flight tested the Rafale fighter jets for India.
The stealth characteristics of the J-20 are also under suspicion, say experts based on several analysis done by the Indian Air Force. The J-20 was hyped to be a highly stealthy aircraft and that it could conceal itself in operations and not be easily detected.

J-20 weapons system no match for Rafale
Experts say if the J-20 was the best, why would the Chinese go for the Russian Su35. But the Russian jets too might not be able to compete with the Rafale.

"Su35 is also no match to the Rafale with its weapons, superior sensors and fully integrated architecture. The capability to super cruise even with four missiles, stealth characteristics all put together make the Rafale far more potent than Su35," Nambiar added.
The J-20 uses the same engine as Su30. But the Rafale engine is better in terms of reliability, longevity and maintainability.

Superior combat abilities
“It can lift load up to 1.5 times its weight, which means it can carry weapons and fuel much more capacity than the J-20,” said an IAF official.
The biggest difference is that Rafale is an omni-role aircraft. It can carry out at least four missions in one sortie while the J-20 cannot carry out multiple missions is one go.
The Rafale is battle hardened and has been used in Afghanistan, Libya and Syria while the J-20 has not been part of any action. Also, the meteor missile in Rafale makes it far more potent than the J-20 or the Su30.

Other than the HAMMER, which is a last minute addition, the fighter jet is armed with potent meteor and scalp missiles that will enhance air strike capabilities and air dominance of the Indian Air Force.
The meteor is a beyond visual range long air-to-air missile with a range of 150 km. Scalp is a long-range cruise missile with a range of 200 km that can be launched from the aircraft for deep strikes to hit fixed and stationary targets in land or water.
Rafale will also have the MICA missiles that can be used both for visual and beyond range air-to-air interception and air-to-ground strikes.
Also Read | Hammer missile to allow Rafale to start operations without delay; pilots, ground crew also ready
Also Watch | How Rafale compares to Chinese J-20

posted for fair use

Rafale superior to Chinese J-20: A comparison of the two fighter jets

Even though Rafale is a 4.5 generation aircraft and China claims that its J-20 is a 5th generation, the Rafale has enough capabilities to counter the Chinese premier aircraft, say experts.

www.indiatoday.in

 

[northern watch]

 

[jward]

LAC face-off: India to add 35,000 troops along China border as tensions simmer
Bloomberg / Updated: Jul 30, 2020, 19:26 IST

Up Next

• LAC face-off: India to add 35,000 troops along China border as tensions simmer
• Manipur: 3 Assam Rifles personnel killed, 4 injured in ambush by terrorist group
• Starting an online business? Here's what you need
• Lord Ram's images to be displayed in Times Square to celebrate August 5 Ram Temple groundbreaking

NEW DELHI: India is preparing to position an additional 35,000 troops along its disputed Himalayan border with China as the possibility of an early resolution to the deadly tensions between the two neighbors fades.
The move would change the status quo along the contested 3,488 kilometer (2,162 mile) Line of Actual Control and stretch the nation’s already tight military budget, senior Indian officials said, asking not to be identified citing rules on speaking to the media.

Twenty Indian soldiers and unknown number of Chinese troops were killed in an ugly skirmish on June 15 and since then, both sides have rushed thousands of soldiers, artillery guns and tanks to the region. With India-China border agreements not holding, the situation required additional troops, the officials said.
India-China stand-off: Complete coverage
“The nature of the Line of Control, at least in Ladakh, has changed forever,” the director of Delhi-based think-tank The United Service Institution of India and retired major general, B K Sharma said. “Additional troops rushed by either side will not move back, unless there is a rapprochement at the highest political level.”
For now, the skirmishes have stopped. And after several rounds of high level military talks, Beijing said troops were disengaging in most locations.

“Currently the two sides are actively preparing for the fifth round of commander-level talks to resolve outstanding issues on the ground,” China ministry of foreign affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. “We hope the Indian side will work towards the same goal with China, implement the two sides’ consensus and jointly uphold peace and tranquility along the border.”
The Indian Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Stretched budget
The extra deployment to eastern Ladakh comes as the Indian Army is heavily committed -- from protecting the 742 kilometer (460 mile) disputed border with Pakistan, to counter insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and north eastern states and monitoring every ingress point along its border with China.

Strengthening border defenses comes at huge cost and places new pressure on the nation’s military modernization program. While New Delhi is the world’s third-biggest military spender, its air force, navy and the army are still equipped with weapons that are largely obsolete.
About 60% of defense spending goes to paying salaries for India’s 1.3 million soldiers -- one of the world’s largest standing armies. What’s left is spent on past purchases, leaving the forces with obsolete equipment and not enough ammunition.
“The additional commitment in Ladakh would put further pressure on serviceability, research and development and capital expenditure as revenue cost rise,” Laxman Kumar Behera, a senior research fellow at the Delhi based think-tank Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses said. “It will be painful if the defense budget isn’t increased.”

posted for fair use

India China border news: India to add 35,000 troops along China border as tensions simmer | India News - Times of India

India News: India is preparing to position an additional 35,000 troops along its disputed Himalayan border with China as the possibility of an early resolution to

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

[northern watch]

 

[jward]

Indian Navy ramps up deployment of warships in Indian Ocean amid border tensions with China
India


Updated Aug 07, 2020 | 22:32 IST






The Indian Navy is said to have increased deployment of warships in the IOR since the border tensions with China began, government officials said.

Indian naval warships patrolling the high seas. | Photo Credit: PTI
New Delhi: With a considerable increase in the deployment of its warships in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Indian Navy is providing strategic support to its fellow services in the ongoing activities related to the border tensions with China.
The Indian Navy is said to have increased deployment of warships in the IOR since the border tensions with China began, government officials said. Some estimates indicate that the increase is almost 25 per cent.
The officials said that past 100 days have seen the Indian Navy operating from the Ladakh (with its P-8I surveillance aircraft) in the north to Mauritius, 7,000 km to the south, and from the Red Sea in the west to the Malacca Strait in the east, a distance of nearly 8,000 km.

Indian Navy deploys ships on Mission Based Deployments at key locations in the IOR so as to build a comprehensive maritime picture and respond to developing situations.
At any time, there are warships patrolling the Bay of Bengal, the Malacca Straits, the Andaman Sea, the southern and the central Indian Ocean Region, the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf.
Additionally, following maritime security incidents, a combat-ready warship has also been deployed on Operation Sankalp since June 2019 for protection of Indian merchant vessels passing through the Persian Gulf.
"Being a network-enabled force, the Navy maintains total awareness of the IOR by using the IFC-IOR (Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region), ships on Mission Based Deployments, P-8I and Dornier surveillance aircraft and other high-end surveillance tools," a senior government official said.
Near-coast surveillance is also coordinated by the Indian Navy by coordinating the resources of nearly 20 government agencies to draw an electronic fence over our coastline, to deter any 26/11-type incident.
After Chinese People Liberation Army's activities in eastern Ladakh increased in the months of May and June, culminating in June 15 clashes in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, the chiefs of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force are meeting on a daily basis to coordinate the joint response.

Since then, the Indian Navy has been at the forefront of strategic signalling to the Chinese forces.
Signing of the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement in June with Australia gave the Indian Navy access to the strategically located Cocos and Keeling Islands in the southern Indian Ocean, which will enable ships and aircraft to keep watch on Chinese Navy ships and submarines entering the Indian Ocean Region.
Similarly, the agreement provides Australian ships and aircraft access to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to extend their reach into the South China Sea.
The Indian Navy conducted four joint exercises with foreign navies during the Galwan crisis to signal intent to the Chinese Communist Party Navy.
The India-Indonesia coordinated patrol was conducted along the maritime boundary line on June 15 by ships and aircraft of both nations, while Japanese and Indian Navy ships also jointly exercised in the Indian Ocean Region on June 27.
Passage exercises were also conducted with French Navy in June and between the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet and US Navy's Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in July.
These joint exercises were an affirmation of the resolve of the global comity against China's recent aggressions. The combination of joint resolve on the Line of Actual Control coupled with strategic signalling at sea seems to have had the desired effect, for now.

With the disengagement at Ladakh slowing down, the Indian armed forces are aware that this could be long drawn-out affair.
"Adequate operational tempo tempered with maintenance of readiness of men and materiel is the order of the day," the official said.
While the Indian Army mobilised on a war-footing in Ladakh and other areas along the LAC, the Air Force has forward deployed its top-of-the-line aircraft.
Indian Navy deployed the P8I Poseidon aircraft to Ladakh to provide valuable intelligence on PLA's mobilisation on the LAC.
"Aptly named after the Greek god of the sea, the P-8I is an all-weather aircraft with latest sensors and weapons, and is a maritime domination platform," said a senior government official.
The cutting-edge performance of the aircraft has now prompted the Indian Navy to place orders for another 10 of these aircraft, which will soon increase its inventory to 18.
The Indian Navy is now set to induct the carrier-borne strike aircraft Mig-29K to fly combat air patrols along with Indian Air Force jets in Ladakh - a credit to the joint pilot training programme of the Indian armed forces.

posted for fair use

Indian Navy ramps up deployment of warships in Indian Ocean amid border tensions with China

The Indian Navy is said to have increased deployment of warships in the IOR since the border tensions with China began, government officials said.

www.timesnownews.com

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1296187472104304640

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1296187472104304640

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1296188069167673350

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1296188069167673350

 

[northern watch]

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1300310299896090625

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/DivyaSoti/status/1300310299896090625

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1300313892736757763

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/ShivAroor/status/1300313892736757763

 

[danielboon]

EndGameWW3 Retweeted



Global Times

@globaltimesnews
·
2h




China state-affiliated media
#China strongly opposes the acts and urges #India to immediately withdraw the troops that have illegally crossed the LAC: PLA Western Theater Command

 

[danielboon]

Global Times

@globaltimesnews



China state-affiliated media
· 2h
Indian troops have violated the consensus reached at the multi-level talks between #India and #China and again crossed the line of actual control at the border on Monday and purposely launched provocations: PLA Western Theater Command

 

[danielboon]

EndGameWW3 Retweeted



Global Times

@globaltimesnews
·
2h




China state-affiliated media
Chinese troops are taking necessary measures in response to #Indian troops' provocations and will closely follow the situation and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, peace and stability at the border area: PLA Western Theater Command

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1300688325313880064

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/ShivAroor/status/1300688325313880064

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1300691965088989184

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/IndiaToday/status/1300691965088989184

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1300688226374410240

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/ndtv/status/1300688226374410240

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1300690134908776449

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1300690134908776449

 

[Housecarl]

Merde....

 

[danielboon]

Merde....

INDEED

 

[danielboon]

ANI

@ANI

Around 7 to 8 heavy vehicles of the Chinese army set off towards the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control from their Chepuzi camp. In reaction, the Indian security forces also made precautionary deployments to prevent any intrusion: Sources
11:40 AM · Sep 1, 2020·Twitter Web App

 

[danielboon]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1300822673677836294

View: https://twitter.com/FrontalAssault1/status/1300822673677836294

 

[danielboon]

EndGameWW3 Retweeted



ANI

@ANI
·
48m

In a significant development, Indian security forces today foiled an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control in the general area of Chumar: Sources

 

[northern watch]