India has recently reactivated its Panagarh air base in West Bengal which was developed by the Americans during World War II to fly aircraft into China. This is a bold China-specific military move by India, indicating that the Delhi government, feeling boxed in by China’s upgrades to its military infrastructure, is being forced to take counter measures.
New reports this week suggest that India will now deploy half a dozen mid-air refueling tanker aircraft at the Panagarh to boost the strike range of Indian Air Force fighter planes like SU-30 MKIs, which are already deployed along the Chinese border.
Mid-air refueling planes are vital force multipliers, militarily speaking. But in the context of India’s contingency plans to counter China’s growing military power these planes could hardly be referred to as “force multipliers” given that they are currently based in Agra, which is too far away from the Tezpur and Chhabua air bases in Assam where the SU-30 MKIs’ squadrons are located to be of any use. The reactivation of the Panagarh air base and the eventual relocation of the mid-air refueling planes there would correct this anomaly.
However, the latest Indian move is hardly sufficient to counter the vast military infrastructure that China has already built in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) right on India’s doorstep. Indeed, this is the case despite even if one takes into account that India has also reopened airfields in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir) and raised two additional divisions of troops in the northeast.
China has at least a half a dozen air fields fully operational in TAR alone. These have all been built in the past couple of years. In the event of a conflict, China has the capability of bringing trainloads of arms, ammunition, and troops right on the Indian border from its mainland. India does not have this kind of capability even in a planning stage just yet.
Significantly, the Director of the U.S. National Intelligence Agency (NIA) stated in an unclassified report to the Senate Intelligence Committee on January 31, 2012: “Despite public statements intended to downplay tensions between India and China, we judge India is increasingly concerned about China’s posture along the border and Beijing’s aggressive posture in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific Region (APR)”.
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observer
Strategically India's location of air and other bases near the common border with China is not sound.
It is well-known that China places great emphasis on it's tactical ballistic missiles as strategic strike weapons.
Any bases within range of these missiles is in danger of suffering a devastating missile strike. Even if no aircraft are based at the time, runways and infrastructure could be badly damaged – severly restricting operations.
Suffering from Chinese multi-pronged strikes – firstly from rapid response ballistic missiles followed up by cruise missile stikes against remaining targets are not the way to win the war.
Placing your limited and valuable military assests in harms way does not seem to me to be good strategy.
B.Causeiknow
Does China wish to take over the world? Given the chance, yes. But, of course, that will never happen. One needs to examine the thinking behind China's apparent push against its borders. The Chinese felt enormous shame by their Japanese defeat, and great shame by their European defeat many years before that. Such that, today, they are saying, 'Never again.' Unfortunately, they need to acknowledge the effect of China's best known criminal Mao Tse-tung, whose Great Leap Forward should be renamed Two Leaps Backward.
bangsarster
When the Killing match begins, China will have its tail in between its legs and run for cover. Its a paper tiger which will only show its fangs when in number or its rival were showing sign of being intimidated .
Mike
Chinas goal is to become the largest power in Asia and dominate it. China cannot do this until it has done 2 things amongst others. 1st it has to beat or weaken its major rival in the region (India). China cannot dominate this region as long as India remains strong. As some point China has to attack and weaken India to the point where India assumes a secondary role. China defeating india in a war now signals to the world that China is now the dominant power in Asia. 2nd to control the oceans around China it much secure the South China Sea. This is the gateway to the Indian ocean and its supply of oil. It will also encircle Tawain and push back US forces from its coast line and allow easy access much further into the pacific. From Chinas point of view it must do this, just like the US had to control the oceans on its borders and figt mexico, britain for control of north america in centuries past. China is now in a battle for Asia which it will win unless the international system blocks and counters any aggressive moves against India, South China Sea, Vietnam, Philliphines. To do so might mean war, but it will prevent a much larger war in the future when China seeks to expand its power around the globe.
The Indian border, South China Sea to me are like Austria and Sudentland when Germany wanted these areas and the world did nothing to stop them. Aggression can only be met with force, talking only encourages more aggression.
China should accept its place in the world, intergrate fully into the established international order. Negioate at the UN for fair border disputes with India, Vietnam and others. But China wont do this as it wants to use its strength to bully its smaller neighbours. In the end it will lead to war, no rising power other than Britain giving way to the US in the 20th century has risen without a major war. The last to try were Germany and Japan, will China repeat the same mistake. You only need to look at Chinas friends to see there true nature, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Cuba all authoriterean states. The US has over 50 formal alliances world wide to call apon in the case of war. The last nation to take on the world was Germany and that did not work out to well for the Germans, and they did not face a superpower like the US armed to the teeth with 50 allies to back them up.
All I can say is if China goes down this path good luck, if I wasa betting man you would be on a one way ticket to hidding.
Rajan
@mike,
An "international" system constructed and devised to dominate Asia by the pinkie colonial powers when thy were at its zenith.
India sould not be fooled and colonised again as a cannon fodder for Machivallen interest.
Western benefits at Indian blood expense.
India should see clearly Aemrican perfidy and ill intention.
No way and India should remain neutral.
China only interest is SCS not Indian ocean.
Let the elephant fight or make love.
Jai Hind
Siddharth
India remains neutral?
What a silly advise!
India has got its own sets of problems with China. Those problem have got nothing to do with the USA.
Similarly, I can also advise-
China sould not be fooled and colonised again as a cannon fodder for Machivallen interest.
Pakistani benefits at Chinese blood expense.
China should see clearly Pakistani perfidy and ill intention.
No way and China should remain neutral.
India only interest is Indian Ocian not South East Asian Sea.
Let the dragon fight or make love.
Prince Pinadu
One simple move, that would block China's expansionism in the South China Sea to secure the Straits of Malacca and Lombok Strait is to REVICE SEATO. A combined military alliance of ASEAN countries would be a formidable force to reackon with!
Prince Pinadu
One simple move, that would block China's expansionism in the South China Sea to secure the Straits of Malacca and Lombok Strait is to revive SEATO. A combined military alliance of ASEAN countries would be a formidable force to reackon with!
B.Causeiknow
One needs to simply 'Google' China's Western borders to note the thousands of miles of 'disputed' borders. Now. who would you describe as the agressor; Nepal, Butan, Tajikistan, or India? Oops! I nearly forgot to mention China.
Morgan
As at August 2012, China has 15 unresolved border disputes and borders 14 countries; India has 18 unresolved border disputes and borders 7 countries. – Pot calling the Kettle black?
satam
Please list the 18 border disputes that India has with its neighbours and be specific. No wishy washy nonsense
Morgan
Satam – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_border_disputes
Whilst Wikipedia is not the most accurate source of information; the list of references in the article is rather impressive. That said, I should have clarrified that I failed to include nations that share a border at sea in the initial count.
Query – why is there so many accusations bantied around about the 50cent brigade whenever someone mentions something remotely positive about China? 15 territorial disputes is nothing to be proud of but I was pointing out that India can hardly claim moral highground here.
Mazo
China has a border dispute with ALL of its neighbors from Russia to Vietnam and has waged military campaigns against India, Vietnam, Turkistan and Korea, while maintaining an aggressive military posture against Russia, Japan, Phillipines, Taiwan, Thailand, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. China even had problems with Pakistan along its borders till Pakistan unilaterally ceded disputed territory to the Chinese. In fact china has / had a border dispute with every single neighbor even small peaceful nations like Bhutan at some point or the other.
India has border disputes with Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and China. India has conducted military campaigns only against Pakistan and China, while it helped create Bangladesh and has resolved 98% of the border dispute with Nepal.
Comparing India and China is like comparing Apples and oranges! While India helped create Bangladesh by responding to a genocide ; China created North Korea by fighing against UN forces!
Mahendranath
India has more border disputes than China? Where did you get that from? You a correspodent of some Chinese propaganda newspaper? Get your facts right first and then comment.
venkat . s. kanakamedala
IT MAY BE WISE FOR INDIA TO ENTER IN TO A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH AMERICA,NATO AND RUSSIA.AMERICA AND NATO SHOULD HELP INDIA IN MODERNIZATION OF INDIAS MILITARY.INDIA HAS TO TIE UP WITH AMERICA AND NATO COUNTRIES TO STRENTHEN ITS MILTARY.NATO SHOULD ESTABLISH A BIGGEST MILITARY BORDERING THE CHINA. INDIA SHOULD DEVELOP MORE NUKES OF MX TYPE OF AROUND TEN THOUSAND TO COUNTER CHINA. IAF HAS TO AQUIRE MORE ADVANCED JET FIGHTERS FROM AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES.IAF SHOULD AQUIRE OF ALL F-18,F-22 AND ADVANCED JET FIGHTERS FROM AMERICA TO COUNTER.STRONG ECONOMY,STRONG DEFENSE AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH AMERICA AND NATO MAY BE ANSWER TO DETER CHINA.AMERICA SHOULD INSTALL AND DEVELOP THEATERE MISSILE SYSTEMS AND DEFENSE MISSILE SYSTEMS IN INDIA TO COUNTER CHINESE MISSILE IN BOOSTER STAGE. THE PACIFIC FLEET OF AMERICA SHOULD BE SUPPORTED BY ITS OTHER FLEETS.MISSILE NUKE CARRIERS SHOULD BE ADDED TO PACIFIC FLEET. THE RAPTORS,JSF-35 AND X-475 FIGHTER JETS SHOULD BE PART OF THE PACIFIC FLEET.THE TAIWAN,SOUTH KOREA,JAPAN,PHILLIPIENS,PACIFIC FLEET,NATO AND INDIA MAY BE DETTERENT FACTOR TO TRIM THE WINGS OF RED DRAGON .NATO TOP BOSSES SHOULD VISIT INDIA AND SHOULD REASSURE INDIA THAT THEY WILL BACK AGAINST CHINA.
sam
How old are you , son?
rajan
@venkat
Good idea.
Start by asking U.S.to built more tollets and feed the hungry as 50% of Indians go hungry but they still need to poo.
Siddharth
What an illusionary data of 50%. Geive me an evidence to prove it.
Moreover, when India got independence, merely 10% population had access to toilets, now India is achieving in this field as well as the number of population having access to toilet has risen to more than 50%. It is a great achievement!
Major Lowen Gil Marquez, Phil Army
This kind of movement by opening Panagarh airbase in west Bengal for the delivery and established thereat the mid-air tanker is a great strategic defensive posture for Indian armed forces to protect its border near the chiese communist, that will served also a deterent to the communist dictatorship invaders..
SR
Another case of Indian political and military leaders not learning from past mistakes! What were they doing when China was building its railway lines to Lhasa and building their military strength next to the Indo-Tibet border? India needs to do a lot more to deter another surprise attack from China. I hope she is taking adequate measures to improve her cybersecurity.
Mazo
Unlike China, India faces many impediments to rapid infrastructure development. In China you never hear about "enviornmental" roadblocks for infrastructure or "local opposition" where as in India, the state of Meghalaya doesn't allow railroads to be built within its borders because they see it as "polluting" and "dirty". The multitude of tribes in India's NE also make laying track difficult as many tribes aren't ready to give up their land for the railroad and finally, environmental groups and clearences are harder to come by in India.
There is also the problem of not having adequate expertise and modern consturction techniques as the Chinese do to build infrastructure rapidly. And of course there is corruption and mismanagement that further slows down progress.
B.Causeiknow
China's railway from the Mainland through the Tibetan Autonomous Region is quite exposed if it were to be attacked, and the raised sections quite impossible to be repaired within a short time. On the other hand, India's rail system is one of the world's finest, should it become a tactical requirement.
China is proud of its record of not going to war with another country (if that's what you wish to believe) but it can not be proud of its threat to Taiwan, Mongolia, Tibet, and the disbuted Indian border … not to mention the so-called China Sea.
Morgan
B.Causeiknow – You honestly believe that India's rail system is of a greater strategic benefit than China's? You don't have to look very far for facts to realize the disparity between the two is huge. Without going into the difference's, you are either willfully ignorant or deliberately lying if you claim that India's rail system is one of the worlds' greatest. Leaving China aside, Japan, Germany, France, etc… all have what most would agree to be better rail systems.
Locke_1978
Morgan…Don't judge a book by its cover. If you are judging China's railroad by its passenger service I am sure you would be right (I've ridden it and thought highly of it), but B.Causeiknow said "tactical," this very well could be right; but I think perhaps "strategic" might be the better word choice. Is it easier to defend? Is it easier repair? Is it better designed to move freight? Would it bring supplies and equipment to where it is needed? Note, B.Causeiknow specifically mentioned that a strike at elevated sections (bridges I assume) would be targeted by airstrikes and would be difficult to repair. Why did I say “don't judge a book by its cover?” Look at the raillines in the United States. Horrible for passenger traffic, great for freight; the military is much more interested in the freight side of things.
A Confused India
New Delhi is wasting its time. It does not impress. As far as the world is concerned, you are really pathetic. A pitiable creature captive to a usless government.
RedChina
Well said, couldn`t agreed no more
B.Causeiknow
Perhaps I was guilty of a misstatement. It was my intention to compare the Tibetan railway between Sichuan Province and Lhasa with the extensive railways system in India. To simply destroy one of the raised sections in Tibet would remove it indefinately, whereas if the Indian military took control of India's railway system it should prove useful. Of course, Germany, France, Japan, etc., have wonderful railway systems … but they are not intending to be a military challenge China … yet.
Morgan
B.Causeiknow, thank you for your response. Perhaps I was a bit harsh with my initial response. Considerations of taking out a railway in the event of an armed clash would take into account the opportunity cost of doing so. For example, if India needed to spend $20000 to destroy the line to delay the Chinese for a week (I suspect they will fix it in that time), and the Chinese needed to spend $10000 to fix it, then it makes little sense to deliver such a strike. I am not an expert on military matters, just a businessman trying to get buy and from a financial point of view, I would have to think hard about making an investment. On that note, let us all agree that it never comes to that.
asoka
India's railroad system is one of the finest and greatest in the world. With over 3 millions kilometers of track, it can carry billions of people each year. Nothing in the world can compare with this eighth wonder of the world.
India has the world's fastest growing economy, the biggest and greatest democratic system in the world, the world's finest educational producing millions of engineers and doctors each year.
India is also the world's leading millitary superpower. We have tested the world's first Intercontinetal Missile, the Argni-V, A.K.A., the China-Killer, which has a range of 50,000 kilometers, capable of reaching the downtown of Peking, Washington, Paris and Moscow.
Need I say more about Superpower India?
Mazo
India's rail network may not cover as many "miles" as the Chinese rail network but the Indian rail network is very dense and well connected in all regions of India except the North East where the network has been limited since the time of the British Raj.
The Indians lag behind in technology in terms of track laying, quality of coaches and effecienct electronic signalling etc but operations wise, the Indians have a network that is as good and in many cases more versatile than the Chinese network.
The only advantage the Chinese rail system offers to China with respect to India is its singular link to the Tibet plateau which is extremely expensive and difficult journey. Should the Indian railways also lay track into its North East is suffecient numbers, the Chinese will be logistically outmatched – atleast in terms of rail as the terrain in India's NE is much easier to transport men and material.
Chinese
@B.Causeiknow,
I agree with Morgan, if the railway is vulnerable in Chinese side, it's equally vulnerable on India side, and to repair the damaged rail, you need road for the access of large equipment, which is fantastic question for india…
Now there're a case to be solved by Indian, the damaged Assam meter rail by recent floods, let's see how long it can be repaired and function again, weeks or months?
Don't expect a real conflict, it do good to nobody. And I found Indian seems more naive on their capability to win a border conflict, it's a dangerous trends. In a war,over-confident side alway lose, it has been proved by thousands years of history.
Siddharth
SO you mean to say that you are not naive and are not confident enought to win a war, ultimately China would be defeated? Isn't it?