India’s resolute message to China at 14K feet, minus 20 degrees

In what may be construed as a firm message to China, India has embarked on an unprecedented war exercise in the icy heights of eastern Ladakh, reports senior journalist Sanjib Kr Baruah.

New Delhi: ‘Shatrujeet’ may well have been a mythical character of India’s Puranic legends, known for his skill in vanquishing the enemy, but on Monday, his name was a metaphor to send a resolute message to adversaries that a fiery battle can well begin suddenly from the skies, from places where least expected and in the most challenging of conditions.

Embarking on the exercise on Monday before the deadly winter sets in within a few days, the Indian Army’s only airborne formation trained to operate behind enemy lines—the about 3,000 strong Agra-based ‘Shatrujeet’ Brigade—mounted a three-day exercise that is unprecedented in terms of challenge with respect to terrain toughness, extreme weather conditions and very high altitude.

An Indian Army source said the ‘Shatrujeet’ Brigade’s airborne insertion along the northern borders in eastern Ladakh is “to validate its rapid response capabilities, as part of an airborne exercise and combat manoeuvres”.

“We have already stated our capabilities but that has to be validated. This is the validation exercise of our men, machines and the system,” the source told ETV Bharat.

The exercise will last another two days.

It began on Monday (November 1, 2021) with the airborne troops “inserted to a drop zone at an altitude of more than 14,000 feet. Pre-acclimatised troops along with specialist vehicles and missile detachments were transported via C-130 and AN 32 aircraft from five different mounting bases to validate inter-theatre move, precision stand-off drops, rapid grouping and capture of designated objectives with speed and surprise.”

“The drop was particularly challenging due to the low temperatures of up to minus 20 degrees and rarefied atmosphere in super high altitude terrain.”

“The exercise also involves conduct of Oxygen Combat Free Fall jumps and integrated battle drills by airborne forces, mechanised columns and attack helicopters, validating capabilities and seamless integration,” he added.

With much-heightened tension between India and China that has led to an unprecedented mobilisation and deployment on both sides of the India-China border since April 2020, the exercise is indicative of several key developments.

First, the reorientation of army formations due to the ongoing border crisis. The ‘Shatrujeet’ Brigade, under the Mathura-based 1 Strike Corps, was a formation that was primarily geared for operations against Pakistan. Its use in eastern Ladakh indicates a change in outlook that will be China-centric.

Second, the use of “pre-acclimatised troops” points to the fact that deployment of the ‘Shatrujeet’ Brigade across eastern Ladakh may have already begun.

Third, the scale and range of operations involving different points of origin of the paratroopers, various flying platforms, landing of heavy equipment followed by troops, in extremely challenging conditions indicate unprecedented operational complexities.