Indian Army's disengagement at LAC to neutralising terrorists at J&K: Key events from 2021

Ministry of Defence released Year-End Review - 2021 on January 1. The Indian Army year-end review included key events, highlights of the armed services' operations, and the government's initiative to strengthen India's military capabilities, among other things. The Indian Army has reorganised and reconfigured its units along the Chinese border to accommodate the People's Liberation Army's troop and infrastructure build-up along Indian frontiers, the Defence Ministry announced on Friday.

"Force levels in areas where disengagement has yet to take place have been adequately enhanced. Threat assessment and internal deliberations have resulted in reorganisation and realignment of forces in keeping with the Army's mandate of ensuring territorial integrity and to cater for the major augmentation of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces and military infrastructure," in its year-end review, the ministry stated.

The military of India and China have been in talks at various levels to try to address the matter. Disengagement was carried out at a number of places after continuous collaborative efforts, according to the Ministry. According to MOD, infrastructure along the Northern Borders is being upgraded and developed in a holistic and comprehensive manner, including roads, tunnels for all-weather connectivity, four strategic railway lines, additional Brahmaputra bridges, bridge upgrades on critical Indo-China border roads, and storage for supplies, fuel, and ammunition. There have also been significant efforts to find dual-use infrastructure.

Inimical elements re-energised their attempts to undermine peace in Kashmir valley

Furthermore, the ministry also stated in its year-end review that inimical elements re-energised their attempts to undermine peace in Kashmir valley by targeting minorities and non-locals selectively. However, proactive security forces efforts in the non-kinetic domain and intelligence-based kinetic operations countered the nefarious designs of Pakistan-sponsored terrorist groups, according to the report.

The ministry said concerted efforts are being made to move forward from a single service approach to integrated planning and execution, referring to the ambitious programme to restructure the Army, Navy, and Air Force. India has insisted on resuming the status quo that prevailed prior to the confrontation in early May of last year. The Army guaranteed that the internal situation in the Union Territory remained under control, according to the ministry.

Concerning the situation in Afghanistan, the ministry stated that the circumstances that arose as a result of the Taliban's takeover provided a unique challenge. The IAF was tasked with evacuating Indians and other citizens from Afghanistan, according to the statement, with evacuations taking place in Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Kabul.

The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) is working to promote the integration of the three services through collaborative planning in order to make the best use of military capabilities, according to the ministry. The nomination of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in 2020 and the establishment of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) remained the most significant and revolutionary defence reform undertaken by any administration since Independence, according to the report.

“Being seized of its import, the DMA has taken on the responsibility of spearheading several reforms within the military establishment towards ensuring optimum utilisation of scarce national resources, enhancing synergy and jointness between the services and steering the modernisation of the military to face the ‘ever-changing challenges of modern warfare’,” the ministry said.

According to the report, the logistics structure is being completely overhauled to make it more effective. Three joint services study groups (JSSG) are working on common logistic policies for services to improve all supply chain operations such planning, procurement, inventory management, distribution, disposal, and documentation. According to the report, a pilot project based on the creation of Joint Logistic Nodes (JLN) in Mumbai, Guwahati, and Port Blair has already been implemented.

Review emphasised service measures aimed at empowering women

It also emphasised service measures aimed at empowering women, such as the permanent commissioning of female officers. The ministry also mentioned the entrance of ten female officers into the Air Force's fighter stream, the deployment of female officers aboard ships, and the appointment of female officers to missions abroad. In February, the first female naval operations officers were inducted into the rotary-wing squadron INAS 336 at INS Garuda in Kochi, according to the report.

Lt Kumudini Tyagi and Lt Riti Singh have both served as combat aircrew on warships. The Border Roads Organisation is also hiring women commanders to lead significant road construction companies (RCC) along border zones, according to the report. Vaishali S Hiwase, a GREF (General Reserve Engineer Force) commander, assumed command of the 83 road construction company in April and was assigned to work on an important Indo-China road connecting Munisairi, Bughdiar, and Milam. The National Cadet Corps (NCC) inducted one lakh more cadets in 173 border and coastal districts, according to the ministry.

Image: ANI