Amidst reports of face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops at multiple locations along the border in Arunachal Pradesh, the Army is enhancing the operational readiness of its mechanised forces through rigorous training in the challenging high-altitude terrain of Ladakh.

The training focuses on acclimatisation, crew proficiency, equipment management and seamless coordination in a demanding operational environment, according to information shared by the Indian Army on Wednesday.

“The endeavour reflects the emphasis on combat readiness, technological adaptation and operational excellence, enabling effective operations in some of the most challenging terrains,” the Army’s Leh-based 14 Corps said.

Raised in September 1999 following the Kargil conflict, 14 Corps, also known as the Fire and Fury Corps, is responsible for operations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Ladakh, as well as the Line of Control (LOC) with Pakistan traversing east of the Zoji La pass, and the Siachen Glacier.

Last week, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director-General Shatrujeet Kapur had revealed that face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops were continuing at several places in the north-east, and the ITBP’s newly raised Shaurya commando platoons had successfully handled the situation.

On October 27, coinciding with Infantry Day, Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Dhiraj Seth, reviewed operational preparedness along the LAC in the Central Sector, where he asked commanders to maintain sustained operational vigilance to effectively address evolving security challenges.

Over the years, the Army has been developing and fine tuning operational and logistical capability to operate armoured vehicles in rugged and snow bound areas. It is looking at newer technology to enhance the operational capability of its armoured formations at high altitude, with more focus being laid on induction of lighter mechanised platforms, and drones and sensors.

While there had been a limited presence of armoured and mechanised elements in Ladakh, the protracted stand-off with China along the LAC in 2020 resulted in additional armoured units being rushed to the Himalayan frontier.

Though the terrain in Ladakh is highly rugged, there are a few flat areas like Depsang, Chushul and Demchok where tanks and infantry combat vehicles can be deployed. China too has deployed mechanised forces in the area which include a mix of light and heavy tanks, including new variants.

After violent clashes broke out between Indian and Chinese troops, over 68,000 Army soldiers, around 90 tanks, nearly 330 BMP infantry combat vehicles, radar systems, artillery guns and other equipment were airlifted to Ladakh, according to publicly available information.

The most significant aspect of the mechanised build-up along the LAC was the airlifting of India’s newest and most powerful tanks, the T-90, which now spearhead the Army’s strike formations, from the plains to Ladakh.

In the early 1990s, a small number of T-72 tanks, which weigh around 40 tonnes, and the lighter BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles were airlifted to Ladakh and permanently deployed in that sector. Later, this increased to three regiments, forming up an armoured brigade.

These were airlifted by the Russian IL-76 aircraft that have a payload capacity of 45 tonnes. However, the T-90 tank weighs about 48 tonnes, and their airlift to Ladakh was possible due to the newer US C-17 Globemaster, which can ferry up to 77 tonnes.

While transporting tanks to Ladakh by road via the Manali-Leh axis is not feasible due to narrow road stretches and hair-pin bends, the Jammu-Srinagar-Leh route is long and time consuming, involving several days.

The Indian Army first used tanks at high altitude in 1947-48, when Stuart tanks were moved to Zoji La at an altitude of around 12,000 feet in Kashmir, to check Pakistani invaders who had entered the Valley in a bid to capture it. They were next used in high altitude during the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict, when AMX-13 tanks were airlifted by the IAF to the Chushul sector along the LAC in south-eastern Ladakh.