Ladakh LAC summer plan factors in troop strength, aerial recces, patrols

Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said the situation at the LAC in eastern Ladakh remains “very fragile” and “quite dangerous” in terms of military assessment. He had earlier called it “unstable” or “abnormal.”

According to officials, the idea guiding the force’s summer strategy is to improve tactical dominance along the LAC, show strategic strength and take steps to improve comfort of the thousands of troops deployed in the region. Both India and China had deployed over 50,000 troops in the Ladakh region after the standoff began in 2020.

A senior official said as the troops transition to a summer posture in eastern Ladakh, close monitoring of the LAC and the newly-created buffer zones will continue. “Adequate strength (of troops) would be kept in depth areas and reserves will be maintained for unforeseen incidents,” the official said.

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Regular reconnaissance of the LAC using unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters, officials said, will be carried out and standalone cameras will be employed in areas which cannot be patrolled regularly. Efforts would continue to avoid confrontations and follow existing protocols. In the next few months, India will conduct several validation exercises, including on mobilisation of reserves and logistics.

Additionally, domination of LAC will continue with establishment of posts within a kilometre of the LAC (or buffer zones where applicable) with company localities and battalions further in depth, closer to the main axis.

“There are substantial reserves at the brigade and battalion levels. Local reserves at the formation levels have already been put in place and brigades from strike corps will continue to be deployed in rotation,” a second official said.

Brigades from every division, the official said, will be acclimatised, trained and rotated at regular intervals. The initial induction of these brigades will be at the earliest.

Officials said that if plans to reduce the Rashtriya Rifles to four companies from six companies come into effect, additional RR battalions from J&K would be inducted in Ladakh to make up for the shortfall. The uniform force of RR was deployed in Ladakh with around six battalions in 2021.

“If a greater number of RR battalions are deployed in Ladakh, additional RR sector headquarters may also move to oversee these additional battalions,” the second official said.

“This would be in conjunction with reduction of forces in J&K. Deployment of additional RR battalions would also assist in reducing turnover of regular infantry battalions which have extended field and high-altitude tenures,” the official said.

According to officials, additional repair and recovery elements would be put in place for armoured vehicles to cater for the wear and tear. Officials said induction of logistics echelons and validation of replenishment processes, both from forward logistics bases and rear depots, will be carried out with better efficiency given an improved road infrastructure this year.

“With the passes opening, managing road space in these areas will be a priority. Advanced winter stocking of 200 days, as per laid down policy, plus running rations will begin after passes open,” the official said.

India has ramped up infrastructure development along the LAC in the last three years with the construction of roads, bridges, tunnels, helipads and habitat and shelters for troops. The Army has significantly enhanced the communication infrastructure in the region, right up to the forward posts along the LAC, and is upgrading voice and data links.

Similar posturing and activities are also expected along the entire LAC including in Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, the official said.

The next round of military talks with China on a mutually-agreed date will see the Indian side being led by the new XIV Corps commander, Lt General Rashim Bali. The discussions will be on resolution of the remaining friction points at the LAC. Based on the outcome of the meeting, the summer strategy will be refined further, officials said.