I wouldn't worry about the numbers..India has huge amount of soldiers deployed around LAC.not to mention other different Paramilitary forces India deployed..ITBP(already has nearly 40000 soldiers and undegoing massive modernization),SSB and BSF..manpower isn't that short.in which we are lagging is infra sector and we need more and more offensive weapons,especially like M777 and similar kind of stuff..plus we need more IFV/APCs..
Our issues are four pronged:-
1) Its not the the number of troops deployed across the LAC on either sides which is the issue. The problem occurs with mechanization- the 13th combined corps situated above Arunachal has an armoured brigade while our 3rd and 4th corps lack one- thankfully the ORBAT enhancement has taken cognizance of that and attached an armoured brigade to the mountain strike corps with two mountain divisions coming up. After that we still need to bridge the presence of the armoured division in the 21st corps over Ladakh by adding another armoured brigade to the one that already exists within the Indian 14 corps situated in the region bringing it up to being a proper armoured division- another move which has thankfully been put into motion. We will still end up deficient of at least 2 motorised brigades in the western and eastern LAC areas combined- that we will have to bridge somehow- specially in Sikkim.
2) Missiles- intermediate range and medium range CMs required for targeting infra and their MSRs are required- this can only be covered by 2018 or so when the land mobile Nirbhay will be in operation- something hinted at by the presence of the canisterized carrier vehicle in the background during the prep leading up to the first test. This is one area we are lacking in and we must make up for it.
3) Artillery- at the moment we are knee deep in an artillery deficiency- something we can afford against Pakistan but DEFINITELY not against China and the M-777s coming from the FMS will only bridge that in a shallow manner.
4) Infrastructure, as I stated by numbers and soon even by mechanization we will match them on the border..
BUT as I posted before..The Chinese on the other hand have, given their military deployment in Tibet and Xinjiang, and its expanding road and rail infrastructure- the capability to concentrate seven to nine divisions within a fortnight for an offensive against a chosen point in the eastern sector of the LAC. You see everything else is being taken care of..not as fast as we'd like but it is in process..but the critical lack of infra in the NE which hampers our mobilization process and speed is what will kill us if we do not fix it and in this area the authorizations (largely dues to environmental clearances) are coming off late- only recently the Army got the required clearance for setting up critical infra in Assam and Arunachal but the road and rail connectivity need to be established pronto.
IAF's presence and plans can be better amplified upon by @
Abingdonboy, @
sancho or @
S-DUCT.
Above all else, WE ARE NOT GOING TO WAR ANYTIME SOON BUT WE MUST BE PREPARED NONETHELESS..PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT NOT A SINGLE CASUALTY HAS OCCURRED ON THE LAC SINCE 93 DUE TO EITHER SIDE FIRING AT EACH OTHER.