In the Himalayas, it is not mass—which China perhaps can muster—that will matter most. Instead, the ability to sustain troops logistically is what counts, and that ability can be put under strain even by small groups that can threaten the adversary’s rear.
General Manoj Pande, Chief of Army Staff, addressed the media in Delhi ahead of Army Day on 15 January. He described the situation along the northern border as stable, under control, but unpredictable. General Pande declared that the Army is highly prepared and well poised to meet any challenges, even though China has enhanced its troops across the Eastern border. It is an assurance that will possibly be tested in due course.
For the Army, operational preparedness is a product of its human agency, which requires it to be boosted with material assets in the form of equipment, infrastructure and technology. Unlike the Navy and the Air Force, wherein the dependence on technology to control the sea or air space is high, the Army is relatively less reliant on high-end tech thanks to the nature of land warfare. Fighting spirit is its primary weapon, and despite all technological progress in war-fighting, the human agency remains supreme—especially in the situation that prevails on India’s northern borders.
The military confrontation on the northern borders is taking place in the mighty Himalayas, where biting cold and oxygen shortage pose immense challenges to operational effectiveness, even though mitigated to some extent by improvements in warm clothing and shelters. What is not under control and never will be are the vagaries of nature in the form of blizzards, avalanches and icy winds. In strategic terms, it would be a nightmare to maintain a sizeable military force across the Himalayas, both operationally and logistically. Therefore, the Army’s operational preparations have to focus on what China can do, i.e. ‘salami slicing’. It is a term used to describe taking control of slices of contested territory and a process that has been witnessed for several decades.
China’s evident operational designs mean there is no better preparation for the Army than to be ready to pay back in the same kind of like-for-like retorts. The vastness of the border would permit it as long as we are prepared. Preparations involve building road infrastructure and organising the forces to carry out limited offensive measures that can be operationally supported, especially by the firepower of land and air platforms, while ensuring logistical support.
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Put finite resources to infinite use
During his press conference, the COAS stated that 41 per cent of the Army’s equipment falls in the vintage category, and only 12-15 per cent is state-of-the-art: A trend he hoped will change by 2030. It is, therefore, clear that expectations of timely induction of better equipment are low. But it is not the case that the present holdings are dysfunctional. Connectivity to forward areas through road and tunnel constructions has also improved, though it is still a work in progress.
The environmental risks posed by heavy construction in the Himalayas were recently highlighted by land subsidence in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath. Such threats could impact ongoing infrastructure building. However, militarily, there is scope to put finite resources to infinite uses. It is something that can only be achieved through the power of imagination and human agency, in the form of tactics distilled through the lens of experience and leveraging accessible technology.
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India more experienced in high-altitude combat
The Indian Army’s experience in high-altitude warfare supersedes China’s. After all, the Siachen Glacier has provided a sustained experience for nearly 30 years. In operational effectiveness, experience matters as long as it is utilised through institutional memory. No doubt, the scale of troop deployment on the northern border is significantly greater, but learning from experience is the military leadership’s bread and butter. Devising tactics boosted by technology, harnessed indigenously, and anchored in experience is the military leadership’s primary challenge.
Innovation will make up for defects
There is nothing more psychologically devastating to forces holding ground at high altitudes than when they realise that their logistic sustenance has been cut off. Special forces and local scouts like the Ladakh or Arunachal Pradesh Scouts are especially suited for these high-risk missions. Presumably, such measures are already in place and are being strengthened. It shows that even though the Army’s equipment, supporting infrastructure, and technology lack in certain capability respects, they can be made up to a significant extent through innovative tactics.
Innovative tactics require a high quality of junior leadership at the Lieutenant, Captain and Major levels. Commanding officers in the rank of Colonels play a crucial role. Fortunately, this remains the Indian Army’s traditional strength, a point historically proven.
This advantage is also augmented by a rank and file that, if ably led, is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. It provides the sharp edge that makes all the difference in combat. If successfully managed, the ongoing induction of Agniveers could sustain a youthful profile that is a sine qua non for combat capability.
Of course, we cannot rest on our laurels and assume these as strengths. The higher leadership must strive to push the boundaries to make inadequate resources meet the requirements of sufficiency.
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Human strength: Military’s most potent weapon
The top brass has its task cut out. It is a formidable challenge, but one that can be met despite the military’s material shortcomings, which are likely to endure. These problems can be resolved if it is recognised that human agency is the military’s most crucially potent weapon. Army Day is an apt occasion to remember this maxim and rededicate ourselves to the defence of our sovereign State when the war clouds get darker.
Uncertainty, danger, and threat to life and limb make up the fabric of soldiering in the Army. It is the Army that often gets closest to these hazards. As I witnessed the Army Day Parade in Bengaluru—held outside Delhi for the first time—the nostalgic spirit of bonhomie with the olive green provided a particular ‘high’ that the uniform begets. May the Indian Army, in the unpredictable future, answer the call of duty whenever required with the spirit of sacrifice that is its proud credo.
Lt Gen (Dr) Prakash Menon (retd) is Director, Strategic Studies Programme, Takshashila Institution; former military adviser, National Security Council Secretariat. He tweets @prakashmenon51. Views are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)