LAC Standoff: Infantry battalions of the Indian Army guarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Arunachal Pradesh will be equipped with new weapons and systems to sharpen their combat ability. These weapons include light machine guns, new assault rifles, rocket launchers and other modes of ability upgradation.

Officials familiar with the Indian Army’s modernization process said on Friday that there is a shortage of unmanned aerial vehicles, all-terrain vehicles and high-tech surveillance gear.

Helipads capable of operating Chinook helicopters are also coming up remote areas for rapid deployment of troops and weapons, even as new satellite terminals along the border will provide high-capacity communications capability for the plan.

Infantry battalion at the forefront of battle: Mayank Sinha

Brigadier Thakur Mayank Sinha, commander of a mountain brigade stationed in eastern Arunachal Pradesh, said, ‘Infantry battalions are at the forefront of the battle, and they are being stocked with new military gear for operational efficiency. The new inductions include Negev light machine guns of Israeli origin, Sig Sauer assault rifles from the US, Swedish Carl Gustav Mk-III rocket launcher, indigenous Swift unmanned aerial vehicle, all-terrain vehicles from the US and digital spotting scope for better detection and identification.’

Chinook helipad construction in full swing

Sinha said the focus has been on capacity development, infrastructure building and training to fulfill the operational role assigned. He said the construction of a helipad for Chinook operations is in full swing which can carry the army’s latest American-origin artillery guns to forward targets.

The M777 ultra-light howitzer has emerged as the centerpiece of the Indian Army’s weapon deployment along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh to counter Chinese military build-up, with the gun’s tactical maneuverability allowing the Indian Army to boost firepower in remote areas.

Despite being separated from Galwan Valley…

The sharp focus of the Indian Army on the eastern sector has come at a time when India and China are locked in the border line in the Ladakh sector. The Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of Chin announced on Thursday that their frontline troops have started disengagement from Patrol Point-15 (Gogra-Hot Springs area) in eastern Ladakh. Despite being separated from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and now PP-15, both armies still have around 60,000 troops and advanced weapons deployed in Ladakh.