Chinese PLA strengthens artillery, missile presence

CHINESE ARMY IS ENGAGED IN FRESH DEPLOYMENT AND RELOCATION OF BOTH TROOPS AND HEAVY MILITARY EQUIPMENT ALONG THE LAC

Although India and China have completed nine rounds of military talks on disengagement in the Eastern Ladakh theatre, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is showing no signs of de-escalation along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC), reinforcing artillery guns, self-propelled howitzers and surface-to-missile units in Tibet.

According to Indian national security planners, the PLA is engaged in fresh deployment and relocation of both troops and heavy military equipment in all the three sectors with fresh constructions of revetments (sloped protection against ordnance) in the finger areas of Pangong Tso.

NEW DELHI:

There is evidence with South Block to indicate fresh deployment of 35 heavy military vehicles and four 155 mm PLZ 83 self-propelled howitzers in sheds around the Shiquanhe PLA camp, just 82 kilometres from the LAC across Chumar in Eastern Ladakh.

Additional deployment of vehicles, heavy equipment and new construction work was observed last month near the

Rudok surveillance facility, 90km from the LAC, with four new large sheds and partition quarters for troops. Both Rudok and Shiquanhe are in the occupied Aksai Chin area.

According to Indian army commanders, there has been a marginal increase, new revetments and relocation of deployments between finger four and finger seven on the north bank of Pangong Tso. It was the Chinese PLA’S aggression on finger the 4 mountainous spur on the northern banks of Pangong Tso on May 5, 2020 that led to escalation of military tensions along the LAC. While induction of 20 military vehicles and equipment has been observed around the Piue radar site, 16km from the LAC, the PLA is also strengthening positions around Spanggur Tso.