China-India border dispute: India deploys US-made weaponry including Chinook helicopters
- India recently showed off its new offensive capabilities such as howitzers and locally-made supersonic cruise missiles, on the Tawang Plateau
- An analyst said the deployments show a frustration with the lack of progress in talks with China over disputed territory in the Himalayas
The build-up in India’s northeast is centred on the Tawang Plateau adjoining Bhutan and Tibet, a piece of land claimed by China but controlled by India. It holds historical political and military significance: in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled to India across nearby mountain passes to escape a Chinese military operation. Three years later, both sides fought a war in the area.
Now US-manufactured Chinook helicopters, ultralight towed howitzers and rifles as well as domestically-made supersonic cruise missiles and a new-age surveillance system will back Indian troops in areas bordering eastern Tibet.
The weapons have all been acquired in the past few years as defence ties between the US and India have strengthened due to rising concerns about Chinese assertiveness.
Indian military personnel escorted a group of reporters through the region last week to highlight the country’s new offensive capabilities. Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Pande said that boots, armour, artillery and air support were being combined to make the force “agile, lean and mean so that we can employ faster”.
“The Mountain Strike Corps is fully operationalised,” he said. “All units including combat and combat support units are fully raised and equipped.”