- India’s Army Training Command headquartered at Shimla stated that nuances of training, tactical operations and future collaborations were discussed by the visiting US delegation with the Indian Army at HAWS
Raksha-Rajneeti Network
The visit of a US Army delegation to Indian Army’s High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) at Sonamarg in Jammu and Kashmir, this week, has put spotlight on the growing emphasis that both countries are laying on operations in arctic conditions amidst a changing geo-strategic environment.
While high altitude operations have formed a major functional area for the Indian Army since Independence due to deployments along the Himalayan frontier against Pakistan as well as China, this domain received an impetus after the stand-off with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020.
Over the past few years, the Indian Military has been laying greater focus than even on prolonged deployment and sustenance of a large number of troops at ‘super high altitude’, as it is now permanently manning positions at heights and in areas that were generally not done before the stand-off. This includes training, studies on human physiology research and development on equipment, constructing infrastructure and establishing logistics and support echelons.
Recent western media reports have stated that in the aftermath of more than two decades of operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the US is now shifting its attention to fight in the Arctic. The move stems from growing concerns about efforts of Russia and China, which have strengthened bilateral ties, to increase their access to the Arctic region for trade, resources and power projection.
Earlier this year, a US Army website reported that after 50 years, the US Army has established a new strategy for cold-weather combat. “As the Arctic warms from climate change, it’s going to become more and more accessible in the coming decades and take on new importance. We have to be ready to accomplish the mission in such an environment,” the website stated.
