Why China will not wage a war with India

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New
Delhi,
Aug
19:
Tensions
between
India
and
China
have
been
high
ever
since
the
incurrsion
by
the
latter
along
the
Line
of
Actual
Control
(LAC)
in
eastern
Ladakh.
The
tensions
bring
back
memories
of
the
1962
war
which
India
lost
inspite
of
the
extreme
bravery
of
the
Indian
soldiers
such
as
Dashrath
Singh
or
Shaitan
Singh
at
Rezang
La.

The
war
of
1962
scared
the
Indian
Army’s
psyche
deeply.
Now
to
avoid
a
similar
situation
India
has
been
upgrading
its
capabilities
in
the
Armed
Forces.
India
has
not
only
put
in
place
modern
technological
devices
but
also
boosted
cyber
warfare
capabilities.

China
has
been
stopping
Indian
patrols
and
building
of
outposts
and
infrastructure.
However
the
current
government’s
precision
guided
military
has
left
China
surprised.
India
now
enjoys
military
advantage
over
China
in
many
border
areas.

On
August
29
2020,
India
launched
its
own
deception
with
‘Operation
Snow
Leopard’ and
took
control
of
the
heights
in
the
Chushul
region.
This
made
the
Chinese
Moldo
Garrison
vulnerable.
Further
India
also
consolidated
its
positions
in
the
Spannggur
Gap
which
blocked
further
Chinese
movement.

China-Taiwan
tensions
and
the
likely
responses
by
India,
Russia
and
the
US

The
Chinese
are
also
aware
that
Indian
soldiers
have
long
Himalayan
experience
such
as
the
Siachen
Glacier.
The
Peoples
Liberation
Army
soldiers
on
the
other
hand
need
at
least
14
days
of
acclimatisation
before
they
are
combat
ready.

In
the
1962
war
the
Army
Headquarters
in
Delhi
issued
the
order
to
fight
to
the
last
man
and
the
last
round.

The
Indian
troops
had
occupied
Daulat
Beg
Old
in
Ladakh
around
16
kilometres
from
the
Karakoram
Pass.
The
terrain
was
harsh
and
had
skeletons
of
humans
and
animals.
There
were
just
20
soldiers
to
man
each
of
the
60
new
posts
along
the
unmarked
border
with
China.
At
that
time
the
Chinese
army
had
many
more
men.

However
that
is
different
today
and
the
Indian
Army
is
a
formidable
war
machine
which
has
decades
of
fighting
experience
unlike
the
Chinese
who
are
better
at
putting
down
political
unrest.

Speaking
of
statistics,
China
has
a
little
over
22
lakh
soldiers
as
compared
to
India
28.44
lakh.
However
the
Chinese
have
a
reserve
of
14.25
lakh
soldiers
when
compared
to
India’s
28.44
lakh.
A
CNAS
report
from
2019
said,
“To
weather
a
potential
PLA
attack,
India
has
placed
greater
emphasis
on
infrastructure
hardening;
base
resiliency;
redundant
command,
control,
and
communications
systems;
and
improved
air
defence.”

In
terms
of
tank
strength
the
Chinese
have
6,457
of
them
when
compared
to
India’s
4,426.
However
the
Indian
tanks
are
bigger
and
powerful.
India
has
6,704
armoured
combat
vehicles
while
China
has
4,788.
India
has
7,414
artillery
pieces
while
China
has
6,246.
China
has
4,788
armoured
combat
vehicles
and
India
has
6,704
as
of
2020.

India
also
cleared
the
production
of
114
Dhanush
guns,
the
Advanced
Artillery
Gun
System
and
the
K9
Vajras.
India
has
also
augmented
the
firepower
M777
Ultra
Light
Howitzers,
Multi
Barrel
Rocket
Launchers
and
missiles
such
as
the
Brahmos
and
Pinkaka.

In
the
initial
stage
China’s
can
neutralise
all
marked
targets
in
the
scenario
of
a
war
with
its
1,200
missiles.
Further
it
would
require
220
ballistic
missiles
to
take
out
one
Indian
airfield
for
a
day.
This
would
finish
off
China’s
missile
stock.
India
on
the
other
hand
has
109
Agni-III
launchers
which
are
capable
of
hitting
the
entire
Chinese
mainland.
It
required
8
of
them
to
reach
central
China.

India-China
relationship
going
through
extremely
difficult
phase:
Jaishankar

One
of
the
main
reasons
for
the
defeat
in
the
1962
war
is
that
India
decided
not
to
use
the
Air
Force.
China
has
1,385
aircraft
as
opposed
to
India’s
809
in
2020.
India
has
also
added
to
its
firepower
immensely
by
inducting
the
Rafale.

“Recent
conflicts
with
Pakistan
give
the
current
IAF
a
level
of
institutional
experience
in
actual
networked
combat,”
the
Belfare
Center
notes.
Chinese
pilots
would
be
hard
pressed
to
think
dynamically
in
a
real-time
battle
in
the
air.
While
China
is
restricted
to
joint
military
drills
with
Pakistan
and
Russia,
India
regularly
takes
part
in
such
drills
with
the
US,
France,
Japan
and
Australia.

Further
India’s
recent
acquisitions
of
Apache
and
Chinook
rotary-wing
assets
and
military
transport
aircraft
such
as
the
C-130
and
the
C-17
Globemaster
will
add
rapid
firepower
support
to
isolated
troops,
the
CNAS
notes.

China
has
the
largest
navy
in
the
world
is
trying
to
overthrow
US
superiority
from
the
seas.
China’s
22,457
kilometre
of
seaboard
is
vulnerable
due
to
its
hostility
with
most
of
the
14
countries
on
its
coastal
borders.
India’s
coastline
on
the
other
hand
is
safe
from
attack.

Another
deterrent
for
an
attack
on
India
would
be
America’s
military
might
and
presence
in
the
region.
New
Delhi’s
growing
proximity
with
Washington
is
another
reason
what
would
make
China
edgy.