The Roof of the World?
China. Russia announced a delay in the supply of missiles for China’s S400 air defence system while the U.S. Japan and Australia are engaging the best of China’s resources in the South China Sea.
Indian haul army Caution India gearing up for long
The Indian side has reportedly doubled its call for rations, which include winter clothing, shelter, tents, fuel and other tools required to face the harsh temperatures in the Himalayan region.
With the PLA deploying close to 50,000 troops in Aksai Chin, the Indian Army deployed the same number of troops and inducted T-90 and T-72 tanks. The armoured personnel carriers, M-777 155mm howitzers and 130 mm guns had already been deployed to the faceoff areas.
Western defence analysts feel that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has an advantage in Ladakh because most of the air fields are located in low altitude areas which allow their fighters to take off loaded with optimum fuel and weapons.
The IAF is operating large numbers of fourth generation fighters including Su-30MKi and MiG-29 which has the capability to fly at night in the high-altitude area. Recently inducted Apache attack helicopters are carrying out round-the-clock flying over Eastern Ladakh. The IAF has also pressed into service a fleet of heavy-lift Chinook helicopters, C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft as well as C-130J Super Hercules to transporting heavy military equipment and weaponry to several forward bases in the region.
With the induction of Rafale fighter jets on July 29th with Su-30 MKi, “IAF has both the capacity and capability to bring the fight to Han China, way beyond Tibet and Xinjiang” said a senior IAF officer.
The PLA has the option to use its silent cyber capabilities to target India. Its space capabilities too are impressive. While it is unlikely to use its Direct Ascent Anti-Satellite (DS-ASAT) kinetic capability involving the use of ballistic rockets, nothing prevents it from using its co-orbital ASAT weapons to target India’s GSAT series satellites. The PLA has specialised units training on DS-ASAT and co-orbital ASAT weapons. The PLA has powerful electronic warfare (EW) jammers capable of blinding satellites. China does not want war with India in the near future for two strategic reasons. One, its principal adversary — the United States — needs to be tamed first in the western Pacific theatre through ASEAN as the pivot.
The other reason is that it would demolish China’s peaceful rise format through the BRI. This would have an adverse effect on its AsiaPacific strategy, its ‘Two Centennial Goals’ (2021 and 2049) and the Chinese Dream. China and India will eventually find a face-saving mutual compromise to end the Ladakh standoff, as neither wants a war. However, the unsettled border will continue to destabilise, fester, and brew more clashes down the road into the future.