Indian Army Discussing Dual-Task Formations to Tackle China, Pakistan Fronts

In a step which will further enhance India’s preparedness for a two-front war scenario, the Indian Army is discussing proposals to create dual-task formations. These formations will simultaneously look after both the Pakistan and China borders.

The proposals are part of the discussions that are going on within the services to further enhance their preparedness along the border with China in view of the ongoing military standoff.

“There will be no need to raise any additional forces or a new strike corps in view of the ongoing conflict. The existing fighting formations can be given dual-tasking to look after both fronts,” top government sources told India Today.

The need for rebalancing the troops’ focus on the two borders has been necessitated in the wake of the Chinese border becoming an active zone since April-May, and just like the Pakistan front, a large deployment is required there as well. Secondly, there has been deepening of military ties between China and Pakistan in the Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir areas.

Different proposals in this regard are being considered by the Army headquarters and suggestions have also been sought from the different Army commanders. A need to further enhance preparedness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has been felt, the sources said in the view of changing dynamics on the frontiers.

The way these formations could be made dual tasked would be decided as per the discussions and decisions based on them, the sources said.

The Strike Corps on the western front including the 21 Strike Corps in Bhopal along with the Strike One in Mathura and the Kharga Corps in Ambala are heavy-armoured and have their formations located all over the western, central and northern sector. Some of them are very close to the China border.

The reorientation of the fighting formations of the 1.3 million-force would be a major exercise. It is expected to prepare the defence forces for a two-front war in real senses, the sources said.

The BMPs, T-90s and T-72s of the Indian Army have been deployed heavily to more than match the Chinese presence opposite the Ladakh sector.
Three Indian Army Mountain Divisions are additionally deployed in the eastern Ladakh sector against around 60,000 Chinese troops in that area. India and China have been engaged in a military standoff about eight months in eastern Ladakh. The deployments have gone up significantly in other sectors too along the entire LAC.

Source: India Today