With an eye on China, Indian Army gears up for winters along LAC

New Delhi: The Indian Army is engaged in the supply of tanks, heavy weapons, ammunition, fuel as well as food and essential commodities in the wake of nearly four months of severe winter in high altitude areas in eastern Ladakh as part of its largest military storage operation in several decades.

According to military sources, Indian Army Chief General M. M. Naravane along with a group of top commanders have personally been involved in the massive operation. It started in mid-July and is now going to be completed. A sizeable number of T-90 and T-72 tanks, cannons, other military vehicles have been airlifted to various sensitive areas, the sources said. Under this campaign, the army has also transported large quantities of clothes, tents, food items, communication equipment, fuel, heaters and other items for jawans deployed at an altitude of 16,000 feet.

Largest logistics campaign in post-Independence India

A senior military official said that this is the largest logistic drive ever completed in Ladakh since Independence. On a huge footing, India has deployed three additional army divisions in eastern Ladakh to deal with any potential Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) atrocitiesies. The temperature there remains in the range of -5 degrees Celsius -25 degrees Celsius between October and January.

Indian Air Force on high alert near LAC

India has imported winter clothes from some countries in Europe and it has already been supplied to troops in eastern Ladakh, the sources said. Almost all transport planes and helicopters of the Indian Air Force including C-130J Super Hercules and C-17 Globemaster were used to transport thousands of tonnes of food, fuel and other equipment in the area. The Indian Army has decided to maintain its current number of troops in all key areas in eastern Ladakh in the winter months as there is no sign of an early resolution of the border dispute with China. The Indian Air Force has also decided to remain on high alert in the areas along the Line of Actual Control.