Sukna-Based 33 Corps “Very Close” to India-China Border

Quint ^ | 12 August, 2017 | Chandan Nandy

[TigerLikesRooster]

Sukna-Based 33 Corps “Very Close” to India-China Border

Chandan Nandy
Updated: 12 August, 2017 4:33 PM IST

The Darjeeling brigade of the army’s Sukna-based 33 Corps, which was mobilised nearly a month ago, has moved “very close” to the India-China border in Sikkim as part of the massive positioning of troops in the wake of the continuing standoff over the Doklam issue.

Army sources revealed to The Quint that contrary to reports that no artillery units of the 33 Corps had been mobilised, the long-range guns in the Tukla valley in East Sikkim, close to the Old Baba Harbhajan Mandir, have been strengthened.

All army communication lines have been reinforced as intelligence inputs indicate that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to make “significant progress” in building bunkers and other fortifications on the Tibet side of the India-Bhutan-Tibet trijunction.

[TigerLikesRooster]

I think timing favors Trump and India. The standoff and possible escalation will tie up large number of Chinese troops, reducing resources to reinforce their North East theater near N. Korean border. China would find it difficult to manage both fronts. This kind of situations happened multiple times in China's past history. Usually they ended up pulling back from one front to focus on others. There is a possibility that China is forced to compromise on both fronts.

It is all up to China. Either compromise on both fronts, pulling back from one front, or engaging enemies on both fronts.

[TigerLikesRooster]

P!

[Tallguy]

I would agree if you’re speaking about Air Force assets. China would have to decide how many of their front-line fighters that they could afford to move to the Doklam front with the tensions over North Korea running high. This gives India an advantage. But since China is driving the tensions there, they have made the calculation that they “have enough”.

[central_va]

End trade with China now. We can build our own stuff. Just like we should have picked our own cotton.

[TigerLikesRooster]

I am not sure if current situation is within the parameters they initially set.

[TigerLikesRooster]

For what people cannot or won't do here, use robots. Anything which can't be still taken care of should be done in Mexico or any place but China. Yeah, Chinese companies can build their factories there and make money, but many factories in China will disappear along with factory jobs, with rising unemployment.

[Tallguy]

I think China is looking for a short, sharp ground clash — then they will offer to withdraw to some boundary satisfactory to them (Thinking they want to control the entirety of the plateau, giving them a commanding positional advantage should hostilities resume.)

India’s trump card is it’s excellent Air Force. I don’t think China matches them pilot-for-pilot — and it’s not close.

So my thinking is that PLA does what they have traditionally done well.
Sneak-in a large, well-camouflaged force that is strong enough to win the first battle without relying on the supplies that the IAF will undoubtedly interrupt. Before the IAF can shift to close air support (from interdiction missions) the fight will be over.

That’s how I read it. I’m pulling for India. They’ve got some darned good infantry, but I think the initial conditions for the battle are stacked against them.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Sneak-in a large, well-camouflaged force

Let's hope that U.S. SIGINT assets catch them and pass the info to Indians.

[Tallguy]

I think that this will be a low-tech fight — for the PLA. They will not be using their modernized units , for this is mountain warfare (understatement). This will be a light-infantry fight. Mortars, machine guns and light-howitzers. It’s difficult to even use helicopters at those altitudes.

I expect the PLA will use a lot of discipline on the signals front. They are well-aware that anything they broadcast will be vacuumed up by the NSA.

[aumrl]

’ China would find it difficult to manage both fronts

That is a very relevant fact.