India shifts 50,000 troops to Border with China in Unprecedented move

India has redirected at least 50,000 new troops to its border with China in a historic move, a shift in its offensive military policy against China.

Although India has had to go to war with China in the Himalayas in 1962, a conflict that resulted in a humiliating defeat for the nation, India’s strategic focus has mostly been on Pakistan, after independence from the British.

There have been three wars between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, with the war which started in 1947 technically still going on as there has only been a ceasefire to it and not an official peace deal.

With the deadliest situation of conflict between India and China at the LAC last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has sought to iron out tensions with Islamabad as much as possible, and concentrate primarily on countering Beijing. Over the past few months, India has moved troops and fighter jet squadrons to three distinct areas along its border with China.

India now has approximately 200,000 troops focused on the border, which is about a 40% increase from last year. While previously India’s military presence on the border with China was aimed at mainly countering Chinese moves, the redeployment of troops and military equipment will allow military commanders considerable flexibility in options, with the ability to attack and capture Chinese territory if needed.

The new strategy includes a lighter footprint, with more helicopters to airlift soldiers from valley to valley, along with artillery such as the M777 howitzer built by BAE Systems Inc. It is unclear how many troops China has on the border, but India recently detected increased activity by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army there.

Apparently, they moved additional forces from Tibet to the Xinjiang Military Command, which is responsible for patrolling troubled areas in the Himalayas. China is adding fresh runway buildings, bomb-proof bunkers to house fighter jets, and new airfields along the disputed border in Tibet.

Beijing has also been adding long-range artillery, tanks, rocket regiments, and twin-engine fighters in the last few months.

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Updated by Indranuj Ray

Source: Times of India.