An Indian military delegation led by a senior Army officer of the rank of major-general in the Northern Command will leave for China on June 19, defence sources confirmed on Thursday. This will mean the resumption of the defence exchanges between the two countries that was decided upon during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent visit
to China. The defence exchanges were put on hold earlier following China’s refusal to permit the then chief of the Northern Command to visit China. But with resumption of the defence exchanges, the stage is now set for another round of Sino-Indian joint military exercises.
But India is not taking any chances when it comes to defence preparedness vis-a-vis its neighbours China and Pakistan. Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh on Thursday reviewed operational preparedness of the Army’s 9 Corps at Yol in Himachal Pradesh.
The Army chief is also likely to visit Bangladesh next week to strengthen defence ties between the two nations. This December will mark the 40th anniversary of the Indo-Pak war of 1971 that resulted in the birth of Bangladesh. In recent times, Bangladesh has acted on India’s concerns in not providing any safe haven for Ulfa militants from Assam. The Army had also carried out several operations against the Ulfa in previous years.
India is also strengthening defence ties with its time-tested defence partner Russia, with high-level defence visits.
India is acquiring several important military platforms from Russia and the two countries are also jointly developing important defence projects. The defence secretary is currently visiting Russia, the Air Force Chief visited Russia recently, while the Navy Chief could also visit the country soon.
Meanwhile, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has constructed “integrated thermally regulated shelters” for the Indian Army that would provide “protection to the soldiers against extreme climatic condition of the Himalayan regions”. These shelters designed and developed by DRDO, are equipped with integrated temperature regulators, biodigestors and air monitoring systems.