India Scales Back Army Corps Facing China, Pours Funds Into Carrier

[INDIAPOSITIVE]

India Scales Back Army Corps Facing China, Pours Funds Into Carrier
All India|Reuters| Updated: May 15, 2015 19:21 IST

File photo: Army men near the Indo-China border


"The reason for cutting down is finances," said a military official. "It's not just a question of raising a corps, it's about maintaining it."

India and China share a 3,500 km border that has remained in dispute since a brief war in 1962 that ended in a disastrous defeat for India.

Because the two armies cannot agree where the line of actual control lies, patrols have ended up in territory claimed by the other side, raising tensions.

However, no shot has been fired across the remote frontier, and on Friday, the two countries proposed fresh measures to stabilise the border during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China.

Retired brigadier Arun Sahgal, who led the integrated defence staff's long term strategic assessments division, said the plan now was to raise a smaller rapid reaction force to be deployed on the Chinese border.

"The idea is to create an interventionist force that can operate in the mountains," he said. In the second phase, the army will likely add air assault divisions and special forces. "They are not winding down the corps, they are adjusting it to the right size."

China has built a network of airfields and roads just over the border with India that give its troops mobility which India lacks.

Defence Minister Parrikar told Parliament last month he was pushing for faster construction of roads on the Indian side. He said only 19 of 73 road links identified as strategic on the Chinese border had been completed.

While funds have been tightened for the army, the government this week pressed ahead with plans to build its biggest warship, a 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier that the United States has said it is interested in collaborating in.

India wants US flight launch technology that will allow heavier jets to operate from the proposed new carrier, and in January, during President Barack Obama's visit to India, the two countries agreed to set up a group to explore cooperation in carrier technology.



India Scales Back Army Corps Facing China, Pours Funds Into Carrier

 

[The_Sidewinder]

Lean Mean tech advance Mountain Strike corps is need of the hour.

 

[Optimos Prime IA]

Its not cutting the size but cutting to the right size . This government know what its doing better than previous one. So things are going In right path . If u think on positive note INS Vishal is a Chinese centric weapon .India already drawn a strategy to open up Naval war front to punish PLA mischief on border region. Plan is cleared as India will build 6 SSN in addition to 2 leased SSN .

So far so good

Lean Mean tech advance Mountain Strike corps is need of the hour.

Cut down size also pegged at 30+ K I think .

 

[The_Sidewinder]

Its not cutting the size but cutting to the right size . This government know what its doing better than previous one. So things are going In right path . If u think on positive note INS Vishal is a Chinese centric weapon .India already drawn a strategy to open up Naval war front to punish PLA mischief on border region. Plan is cleared as India will build 6 SSN in addition to 2 leased SSN .

So far so good


Cut down size also pegged at 30+ K I think .

This govt has a vision, that to a right one it seems, and they are acting upon it.

 

[BuddhaPalm]

LOL Modi surrendered in the Himalayas. Now we will gain more territory control.

 

[The Huskar]

LOL Modi surrendered in the Himalayas. Now we will gain more territory control.

How exactly did he surrender the Himalayas by diverting the same amount of funds to a less manpowered force??Its not exactly WW2 era.Technology is better than manpower.

 

[thesolar65]

LOL Modi surrendered in the Himalayas. Now we will gain more territory control.

First try to gain the amount of Indian soil that could hold in that palm of yours!!

 

[Irfan Baloch]

LOL Modi surrendered in the Himalayas. Now we will gain more territory control.

watch out the South China sea.. Modi is putting more money on the Navy

 

[Indus Falcon]

watch out the South China sea.. Modi is putting more money on the Navy

All signs indicate that India is looking for a confrontation with China. Interesting!

 

[Optimos Prime IA]

LOL Modi surrendered in the Himalayas. Now we will gain more territory control.

Dude you are totally surrounded by Indian strategic partners . LOL you better keep up your usual paper fighter . Or reality will be very worst than tiny Vietnamese .

 

[GR!FF!N]

OP missed this part...

India Scales Back Army Corps Facing China, Pours Funds Into Carrier
All India | Reuters | Updated: May 15, 2015 19:21 IST
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File photo: Army men near the Indo-China border

New Delhi: The government has scaled back an ambitious plan to establish a new army corps to counter Chinese conventional forces across the Himalayas, defence sources said, pouring funds instead into a new aircraft carrier and border roads.

Stung by a 21-day face off on the disputed border two years ago, the previous Congress-led government had announced the establishment of a mountain strike force consisting of 90,000 troops, estimated to cost $10 billion or Rs. 63 thousand crores and equipped with modern weaponry.

But Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has ordered the force be 25-30,000 strong, according to sources, saying the previous government had not thought through the costs involved in raising and equipping such a corps at a time when existing army units are short of everything from field guns to ammunition.


....................................................................................

So XXXIII Corps is going to include some 30000 troops,not 90K as mooted..

XXXIII corps presently has 3 divisions....

17th Mountain Division
20th Mountain Division
27th Mountain Division

1 Arty Brigade

some 70000-80000(or more) troops with additional 30000 soldiers for offense is not bad at all,considering China facing-

IV Corps-(71st,5th and 21st Mountain Divisions)
XIV Corps-(3rd Infantry and 8th Mountain)

along with XV corps..

These are the permanent force deployed to face China,along with ITBP(Some 90K),Ladakh Scout(5 Battalions),Sikkim Scout(1 battalion),Ladakh Scout(2 battalions),Komaon Regiment along with other territorial regiments and other Indian Regiments which gets posted on rotation basis,the soldier strength is quite enough..

IMO,if IA could make this strength(30000 as reported,90000 originally planned) upto 60000 and could deploy with 3 different corps facing China,it'd be great..though I don't know if offensive on those sectors possible or not.

 

[Echo_419]

Its not cutting the size but cutting to the right size . This government know what its doing better than previous one. So things are going In right path . If u think on positive note INS Vishal is a Chinese centric weapon .India already drawn a strategy to open up Naval war front to punish PLA mischief on border region. Plan is cleared as India will build 6 SSN in addition to 2 leased SSN .

So far so good


Cut down size also pegged at 30+ K I think .

Any thinking that we can take on PLAN on its homefront is stupid thinking

 

[Optimos Prime IA]

LOL Modi surrendered in the Himalayas. Now we will gain more territory control.

Dude you are totally surrounded by Indian strategic partners . LOL you better keep up your usual paper fighter . Or reality will be very worst than tiny Vietnamese .

Any thinking that we can take on PLAN on its homefront is stupid thinking

Its not stupidity but reality . We don't have to go into Chinese waters we can do enough damage by blocking their access to most important trade route ! IOR . And believe it or not stupidity or what ever . This is our strategy to go for naval offense in case of any mischief at the border region . Not today but tomorrow . When we get all SSN , SSKs , Carries , brahmos NG , 7 stealth frigates + 3 Russian frigates + 6 destroyers to name a few. With Andaman as our trip command under Navy India will be in a position for greater offensive .

And my friend when its war crazy moves have to be made and that's how we train our boys (till last drop of blood) . Once we decided we moves in .Got it ?

 

[desimorty]

Border is not a concern. We can not have a mssive war with China unless we want to invite a nuclear response for an ailing and failing CCP. India alreasy has the advantage on the mountians, with heavy life aircraft and helecopters plus 8 mountian divisions compared to China's 4.
The way i see it. The sea is more important, as this Indian Ocean is where the USN has a large base with stealth bombers and aircraft carriers. Plus it is the worlds busiest ocean. Remember the british, the portugese and french all arrived the ocean. Our only concern on land is Pakistan. China can not field a larger army than India on the border, hence their investment in Pakistan.

Its not stupidity but reality . We don't have to go into Chinese waters we can do enough damage by blocking their access to most important trade route ! IOR . And believe it or not stupidity or what ever . This is our strategy to go for naval offense in case of any mischief at the border region . Not today but tomorrow . When we get all SSN , SSKs , Carries , brahmos NG , 7 stealth frigates + 3 Russian frigates + 6 destroyers to name a few. With Andaman as our trip command under Navy India will be in a position for greater offensive .

And my friend when its war crazy moves have to be made and that's how we train our boys (till last drop of blood) . Once we decided we moves in .Got it ?

Well thats stupid. How does the navy do it? Stop all shipping directly to China? India will invite sanctions as stopping trade on international waters is breaking the laws of the open sea! something India strongly protected. The only way to stop China from trading is blockading the coast of China and that can only be done with subs as carriers too close to the mainland will run the risk of being detected.
The Indian navies purpose is not to fight China in their sea or the Indian ocean. Indian navy only needs to protect itself and India against the likes of USN. You really think Brahmos is requirment to fight China's dystroyers? Kind of overkill don't you think?

 

[Irfan Baloch]

All signs indicate that India is looking for a confrontation with China. Interesting!

it is true or maybe just posturing because their confrontation will only help the west. countries in this region shouldnt fight on behalf of the west.