The Hindu : Joint exercises by Indian, U.S. troops in Ladakh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 13, 2003

National

National

Joint exercises by Indian, U.S. troops in Ladakh

By Sandeep Dikshit

LEH SEPT. 12. Turning a new page in military ties, Indian and American commandos have started joint exercises in Ladakh, one of the highest reaches in the world. This is the first time India has opened this geographically strategic area to foreign troops. This is also the first time that American soldiers have got the opportunity to practice manoeuvres at such a high altitude where oxygen availability is less and endurance is at a premium.

Arriving secretively a week back, the U.S. commandos took three days to acclimatise themselves and get over the breathlessness that assails every newcomer to Ladakh. They have started with rock craft, the technique of climbing sheer rocky mountain faces with encouragement and assistance from the Indian Special Forces. Practicing different cliff assault techniques will follow this. It will be the turn of the U.S. troopers to lend a helping hand to their Indian counterparts in conducting surveillance and specialised area reconnaissance.

At the fag end of the three-week schedule ending September 25, the troopers will carry out high endurance 72-hour-long cliff assault techniques preceded by a three-day surveillance exercise. After a day of combat shooting and marksmanship in the rarefied atmosphere, the culmination will be a "friendship jump" from an Indian Air Force aircraft.

Codenamed `Balance Iroquois' by the U.S. and `Vajra Prahaar' by the Indians, the aim is to conduct joint training and multiple tactical exercises in high altitude areas to increase inter-operatability between Special Forces. "The U.S. does not have access to such high altitude areas,'' says Arvind Sharma, general officer commanding of the Leh-based 14 Corps. That is all the army is willing to tell.

But the geo-strategic importance of the area is evident from the fact that it is bounded on two sides by disputed borders with China and Pakistan.

Three decades ago, in the garb of a mountaineering expedition, an Indo-U.S. army team had installed a nuclear-powered listening equipment facing the Chinese side. It soon got washed away in an avalanche, never to be recovered again. "We don't think there is any cause for concern to China. This is the first exercise in this part of the world as far as I can recall. Our interaction will remain limited to this,'' Lt. Gen. Sharma told a visiting media team.

There is no word of the exact area where exercises are being conducted.

Locals can only speculate. For the cameras, a sprinkling of troops from both sides carried out rock climbing at a location where besides the army, personnel from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police have practised for years. The army is unwilling to give details about the type of surveillance equipment being used.

While the army gave media access to the region's top official, the U.S. troopers are totally unforthcoming. ``It is great to be here. We are feeling good. That is all I can say,'' said an American trooper.

The exercises will once again expose the Indian Army to the equipment used by U.S. Special Forces and it plans to request the Government for some of these equipment for the para-commandoes.

"We would put in definitive recommendations for equipment for the Special Forces after the exercises are completed," says Lt. Gen. Sharma. Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) cleared the procurement of specialised equipment including micro sub-machine guns and sophisticated silencer pistols for the Special Forces.

The CCS approval was based on recommendations sent by the army after it had conducted exercises with American troops.

One obvious fall-out of the joint exercises will be better equipment for the troops.

Another will be their ability to conduct actual combat operations alongside U.S. troops, but these are early days.

Any other intention can only remain a matter of speculation.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National