The ridgeline in the region to be captured was at an average height of 20,000 feet. The soldiers of 19 Kumaon didn’t have even basic mountaineering equipment needed to climb.
Pakistan's SSG team was not adequately provisioned for the inclement weather. If it had managed to consolidate its position, the story of Siachen would have been different.
'Pakistani fighter planes would fly close to us trying to observe our movements and intimidate us,' recalled Lt Col Stobdan Kalon who set out on the mission in the summer of 1978.
The force for the operation was to be maintained by air through para drops by fixed wing aircrafts while the helicopter effort was primarily earmarked for tasks such as reconnaissance.
To cater for all contingencies and evaluate all tactical scenarios, the Indian Army war-gamed the possible plans and reactions of both sides in Srinagar.
It takes a particular kind of soldier to meet all the requirements for commanding operational tasks that began on the Saltoro Range and culminated in the steamy jungles of Nagaland during the perilous 1990s.
German mountaineers Stallbohm and Poncar recall their interactions with Col. Narendra ‘Bull’ Kumar and shed light on the maps they gave him which drew his attention to Siachen.
Published by HarperCollins, 'Siachen 1987: Battle for the Frozen Frontier' by Lt Gen. Ramesh Kulkarni will be released on 3rd November on ThePrint's Softcover.
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Excellent write up. I was there from Khrew to Siachen with UNNIS. I have some more photos from that time period. Proud to have been a part of Op Meghdoot.
Excellent write up. I was there from Khrew to Siachen with UNNIS. I have some more photos from that time period. Proud to have been a part of Op Meghdoot.