[quote]
Rohitvats wrote:
[quote="ramana"][quote="rohitvats"]In past 24 months, Indian Army has gone up by 6 Mountain Divisions and one additional Corps HQ - and a Mountain Strike Corps at that. I hope we don't go around yelling week kneed and lilly livered approach of GOI any more....
Are they ground truths or paper formations?
.....
ramana garu, the 2 Mountain Divisions(MD) for NE are already up and running. The AOR between 4 and 3 Corps has been rationalized with some give and take of divisions. Next in line are the 2 MDs for Northern Command. This Mountain Strike Corps is a new announcement - so will take some time to shape up. But important thing - report from ground says that lot of new raisings for various arms and services has been okayed. And some has already taken place. All in all, genuine expansion in the strength of IA.
[/quote]
and
[quote]
"rajrang" Wrote:
For decades India had "10 mountain divisions" - even thought only 9 were called mountain divisions. Finally two years ago there was a decision to raise 2 additional divisions to defend AP. That made it 12. Now there is this news about raising a mountain strike corps with 2 divisions. That would make it 14. Even if you argue that the 2 new brigades (Ladakh, Uttarcnhal) plus I recall a new artillery brigade for the NE, is numerically equal to 1 more division, the total is 15 divisions. Did I get my math correct? How do you get 16? Also note that the new strike corps has not yet been approved. Thanks.
----------------
To begin with, it does not matter if the formation is Mountain Division (MDs) or Infantry Division - as long as it is equipped to be able to operate in its AOR (Area of Responsibility). After the move of 8th Mountain Division to the Valley, we have had 8 Divisions dedicated for the Chinese front - not counting the Reserves (which would take it to 10).
Cut to present - 2 new MDs have been raised in NE and already operationalized. Add to it the two MDs okayed for Northern Sector. Plus, the latest report of new Corps HQ (Mountain Strike Corps) with 2 more Mountain Divisions under it - total of 6 new raisings; 2 done and 4 more to go. Considering the 2 new MD already raised in NE, we 'now' have 10 divisions with Corps dedicated to chinese front.
[/quote]
and
From Orbat:
[quote]
#
India's buildup against China Reader Avik Bhattacharyya asks us to clarify the situation regarding how many divisions have been/are being/will be raised.
#
Two divisions have been raised, under Eastern Command. The Government is said to have approved the raising of two more, which will go to Northern Command. A couple of independent brigades have been requested and we assume permission will be given en passant, so as to speak.
#
Now, Mandeep Bajwa explained to us the other day that the Army has asked for a minimum of seven new divisions ASAP with another four after that, so that we are talking of eleven new divisions at some point in the mid-2010s. Mandeep believes the seven can be taken as given, and the additional four will also be approved in due time as unlike in the past, today money is not a problem. India's official defense expenditure is just 2% of its GDP so it has room to spend more.
#
Avik asks if seven divisions would not represent the greatest post-1945 build up by a democratic country. In 1963-68 India raised sixteen new divisions, so seven divisions over 5-6 years is not that much.
#
Avik also asks what has happened to the modernization of the Pakistan-front forces. We are trying to frame the answer as politely as possible, without calling the Government of India and senior defense staff morons, idiots, cretins, and retards. With those words ruled out, all we can say is that everyone has transferred their attention to the new toy, the China buildup, and no one has time for the old toy, the modernization of the Pakistan-front forces. For eleven years the Government has been going on and on about Cold Start without doing a darn thing to make Cold Start a reality. And it doesn't require much to make it a reality, just a simple expansion of mechanization.
#
The new mantra is "two-front war". Well, sorry about that, the Indian Army has since 1963 been sized for exactly that, a two-front war. Readers can take it on the Editor's words alone: he's studied Indian defense policy for 40 years, and he can assure readers the last time anyone knew what they were doing was the 1971 War - and two-thirds of the objectives even then were abandoned because India was - still is - ruled by the Yellow Boxer Brigade - Boxer as in boxer shorts, the rest we leave to your imagination.
[/quote]
Rohitvats wrote:
[quote="ramana"][quote="rohitvats"]In past 24 months, Indian Army has gone up by 6 Mountain Divisions and one additional Corps HQ - and a Mountain Strike Corps at that. I hope we don't go around yelling week kneed and lilly livered approach of GOI any more....
Are they ground truths or paper formations?
.....
ramana garu, the 2 Mountain Divisions(MD) for NE are already up and running. The AOR between 4 and 3 Corps has been rationalized with some give and take of divisions. Next in line are the 2 MDs for Northern Command. This Mountain Strike Corps is a new announcement - so will take some time to shape up. But important thing - report from ground says that lot of new raisings for various arms and services has been okayed. And some has already taken place. All in all, genuine expansion in the strength of IA.
[/quote]
and
[quote]
"rajrang" Wrote:
For decades India had "10 mountain divisions" - even thought only 9 were called mountain divisions. Finally two years ago there was a decision to raise 2 additional divisions to defend AP. That made it 12. Now there is this news about raising a mountain strike corps with 2 divisions. That would make it 14. Even if you argue that the 2 new brigades (Ladakh, Uttarcnhal) plus I recall a new artillery brigade for the NE, is numerically equal to 1 more division, the total is 15 divisions. Did I get my math correct? How do you get 16? Also note that the new strike corps has not yet been approved. Thanks.
----------------
To begin with, it does not matter if the formation is Mountain Division (MDs) or Infantry Division - as long as it is equipped to be able to operate in its AOR (Area of Responsibility). After the move of 8th Mountain Division to the Valley, we have had 8 Divisions dedicated for the Chinese front - not counting the Reserves (which would take it to 10).
Cut to present - 2 new MDs have been raised in NE and already operationalized. Add to it the two MDs okayed for Northern Sector. Plus, the latest report of new Corps HQ (Mountain Strike Corps) with 2 more Mountain Divisions under it - total of 6 new raisings; 2 done and 4 more to go. Considering the 2 new MD already raised in NE, we 'now' have 10 divisions with Corps dedicated to chinese front.
[/quote]
and
From Orbat:
[quote]
#
India's buildup against China Reader Avik Bhattacharyya asks us to clarify the situation regarding how many divisions have been/are being/will be raised.
#
Two divisions have been raised, under Eastern Command. The Government is said to have approved the raising of two more, which will go to Northern Command. A couple of independent brigades have been requested and we assume permission will be given en passant, so as to speak.
#
Now, Mandeep Bajwa explained to us the other day that the Army has asked for a minimum of seven new divisions ASAP with another four after that, so that we are talking of eleven new divisions at some point in the mid-2010s. Mandeep believes the seven can be taken as given, and the additional four will also be approved in due time as unlike in the past, today money is not a problem. India's official defense expenditure is just 2% of its GDP so it has room to spend more.
#
Avik asks if seven divisions would not represent the greatest post-1945 build up by a democratic country. In 1963-68 India raised sixteen new divisions, so seven divisions over 5-6 years is not that much.
#
Avik also asks what has happened to the modernization of the Pakistan-front forces. We are trying to frame the answer as politely as possible, without calling the Government of India and senior defense staff morons, idiots, cretins, and retards. With those words ruled out, all we can say is that everyone has transferred their attention to the new toy, the China buildup, and no one has time for the old toy, the modernization of the Pakistan-front forces. For eleven years the Government has been going on and on about Cold Start without doing a darn thing to make Cold Start a reality. And it doesn't require much to make it a reality, just a simple expansion of mechanization.
#
The new mantra is "two-front war". Well, sorry about that, the Indian Army has since 1963 been sized for exactly that, a two-front war. Readers can take it on the Editor's words alone: he's studied Indian defense policy for 40 years, and he can assure readers the last time anyone knew what they were doing was the 1971 War - and two-thirds of the objectives even then were abandoned because India was - still is - ruled by the Yellow Boxer Brigade - Boxer as in boxer shorts, the rest we leave to your imagination.
[/quote]