India’s armed forces are frequently called upon to assist following natural disasters. But will they get what they need to defend the border?
On October 3, the head of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Air Chief Marshal NAK ‘Charlie’ Browne, announced a slew of new measures that the force is planning to take to strengthen and upgrade its capabilities around the country.
Among them was the decision to extend the runway at Kargil, a small town in Jammu and Kashmir made famous by the 1999 skirmish between India and Pakistan. Located midway between Srinagar and Leh, a north-eastern town not far from the Chinese border, Kargil airstrip will be turned into a full-fledged airport capable of handling the heavy and medium transport aircraft like the C-130J Hercules and the C-17s that the IAF is in the process of inducting.
The decision to strengthen the Kargil airbase has come almost exactly a year since the Ladakh region was lashed by a devastating cloudburst that killed over 100 people and which critically affected the deployment and winter stocking of Indian Army troops along the Chinese border following the total collapse of the tenuous road network in the area.
The Indian Army, present in the region in substantial numbers, responded almost immediately. More than 6,000 soldiers, along with personnel of the quasi-military Border Roads Organisation, set out with their heavy engineering equipment to reopen roads and rescue civilians trapped under the debris. The swift initial response saved hundreds of lives, although the Army itself lost a platoon of soldiers (over 30 personnel) when a landslide came crashing down onto their barracks.
The inadequacy of infrastructure in the remote border area of Ladakh was brought home that same month when convoys of Army Supply Corps got stuck a number of times after roads were washed away completely. That’s when the Air Force decided to extend and upgrade the Kargil air base to provide an alternative supply base. Another forward air base at Nyoma—barely 25 kilometres from the China border—is also being modernized to initially allow transport operations, which will be followed by facilities for fighter operations.
If it was Ladakh last year, last month it was the turn of another Himalayan state, this time Sikkim, to face the wrath of nature. An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hit the tiny state abutting China and Bhutan, killing more than 90 people and cutting off two crucial roads connecting the border areas in East and North Sikkim.
Once again, the Indian Army pulled out all the stops to deploy its reserves, as well as elements of its Special Forces, to rescue those trapped in remote areas made inaccessible by roads that had been completely washed away. Temporary camps were opened; food was distributed; blankets were provided and medical help was given across the state.
In both Ladakh and Sikkim, the Indian Air Force was the second responder. It moved hundreds of tonnes of engineering equipment, relief material like food, winter clothing, blankets, tents, medicine and rescue personnel to calamity hit areas by utilizing its transport planes, helicopters and even the newly acquired C-130J. Pilots of the Indian Air Force and the Army Aviation flew hundreds of risky missions to extricate those trapped in remote hamlets in high mountains, demonstrating once again the importance of the Indian Armed Forces in responding to natural disasters across this vast country.
Armed forces the world over are trained and equipped to deal with such emergencies, but what makes the Indian situation different is the frequency with which the Army, Navy and Air Force get called in, and the effect this has on their preparedness, especially along the sensitive borders with China and Pakistan.
Photo Credit: Uniphoto Press
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Leonard R.
Those hats are ridiculous.
Are they supposed to inspire fear in the hearts of enemy soldiers?
Or are they designed to disarm the enemy with laughter?
Oro Invictus
Hey, laugh all you want, but considering that India boasts soldiers like Yogendra Singh Yadav, they can wear these sorts of things without losing their ability to intimidate.
It’s kinda like how Britain’s Royal Guard, despite their ridiculous hats and such, are in many ways as well trained as the US Secret Service. Another good example is how, in Canada, the average RCMP officer (despite that, when in traditional garb, they look like a cross between a park ranger and the most polite marine imaginable) have as much training and are as skilled as FBI field agents (though, considering we also arm our Fish & Wildlife officers with things like .357 magnums, perhaps this is less strange). Really, when you consider other historical precedents, you could make the argument it is the ridiculous looking soldiers that you should be wary of.
John Chan
A meaningless remark pays no respect to other nation and people’s culture and traditions.
venkat
Are the military hats designed to scare your enemies? Never knew that people who are trained to go to war will be scared by the enemies outfits.
Wonder what your army hat’s look like? Halloween costumes??
Mazo
These are called military “regalia”. Any “proper” military with a strong tradition and a long history would have this, just like the Indian Army’s regiments. These “hats” as you call them (they are actually turbans) are part of the dress uniform of the regiment and each regiment’s colors are worn to signify their proud heritage.
This is what martial culture is all about and just like the British Royal Army and its regalia, the Indian Army’s regiments sport their regalia and colors with pride.
On the battlefield, the utility uniform is worn.
Nathan
LOL India, a country with 1/2 the world’s poor needs to focus more on poverty alleviation than the 10′s of billions of dollars every year on WAR TOYS so the Brahmin elites can feel important!
Nithin Reddy
Nathan,
This just shows how little you know about India. Its a fact that India is a developing country with a vibrant economy and an emerging market. Poverty over the last 10 years has been on a fast decline and by 2015, India will have the largest middle-class population. India is placed in a tough neighborhood with nuclear powered Islamic extreme Pakistan on one side and an aggressive nuclear China on the other, so its normal for India to spend 1.8% f its GDP on defense of its national interest with is far less than what other major countries spend on defense.
And please get your facts right before you make such ignorant comments. Brhamins for example or not even part of the elite political class and more focused towards academics and scholarly commitments. Try to know about a country before you insult it.
Mazo
Who are these “brahmin elites” ? I’m curious to know because I don’t really know any being Indian and living in India.
Awadhesh Kumar
Not only natural disaster, we have to have the capability to face a two front scenario. For this we have to strengthen our aerial delivery and air transportation assets and system. We need 4sqns of Heavy lifters in C17/IL76 category, 6sqns of medium lifters in C130 category , 9 sqns of utility lifters In AN 32/ MTA(being planned) category ,3sqns of light lifters in Dornier228 category and finally if possible 1 sqn of super heavy AN124.
Similar capacity is required in fixed rotors. 1sqn of MI26, 4sqn of Chinnoks,24 sqn of Mi17 . In addition Army to have at least 18 sqns of DHRUV utility .
kaustavdey
Hey a few sqns of Chinook helicopters will act as rapid deployment in various terrains
Mazo
Why have Chinooks when Mi-26’s cost 1/4th the price and can do twice the work in half the cost ?
Frank
The more you spend on mighty Himalaya Mountains, the less you can spend on coastal defense.
In the last 200 years, India has already been conquered from the sea.
Do Indians forget the history that quick?
Ballamurugan
Frank, you are right, but historically we didnt have a china that was against us. Now the Communist have made the people of China think that we are against them..
Frank
If we can settle the border, then nobody can start a war between China and India. Right?
Nitin S.
Easier said than done. Right?
Mazo
The Indian government is spending 40,000 crores (ie. 400 billion rupees ) in Naval modernization and upgrades. This is not taking into account, new bases, new airfields, new training facilities, new ship building facilities, new docks, new ports and new surveillance and monitoring equipment, satellites etc. The previously moribund Indian Coast Guard has also received a kick in the pants and been put under Indian Naval Command to get the ships and personnel in shape. Several coastal police agencies have also been activated and been made accountable to the Navy. A comprehensive sensor network is being put in place to monitor the Indian EEZ in real time.
This is mostly thanks to Pakistan and the 26/11 attacks that have shown the dire need for maritime monitoring and development.