Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh): The Chinese military has increased its activities and scale of exercises on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), prompting India to step up vigil and preparedness to meet any contingency.
Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Manoj Pande said here today that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is carrying out training exercises in its depth areas of the LAC.
The ground troops, air assets and rocket forces of the PLA are involved in the integrated exercises, which are “longer and more complex” this time, he said.
There has been some increase in the level of activities, he added.
This development comes even as the military standoff continues in the Ladakh sector since May last year after China launched aggression in an attempt to alter the LAC in that sector, creating eyeball-to-eyeball situation.
“Some of the reserve formations of the PLA, which were mobilised, have continued to remain in their training areas but that again is in operational depth,” the Army Commander said.
“We have enhanced our surveillance both in LAC and depth areas… We have adequate forces for any need that may arise. In certain areas, where our deployment was thin, we have strengthened our deployment. But largely there has been no major increase in troops along LAC,” he added.
“We are also practising and rehearsing contingencies that may come up,” he said.
“In certain areas, we have strengthened the deployment. Largely, there has been no major increase or increment in terms of the number of forces that we have deployed at LAC,” he added.
The Indian Army is looking at maximising the potential of incorporating technology to the maximum extent possible, the Army Commander said.
“We have inducted surveillance drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and have better surveillance radars, better communication systems, better night vision ability. Introduction of technology has remained one of our key areas and a number of steps are taken towards it,” he said.
He said both India and China are attempting to develop infrastructure closer to LAC which leads to certain issues at times.
“As per their (PLA) strategy model, villages have come up near the border. It is a matter of concern how that can be used. We have taken cognisance of this in our plans,” he added.
There has been a marginal increase in the border defence troops, who are already deployed at the LAC.
