Image Credits - The New Indian Express
The Indian Army is going to restructure its Order of Battle against China with a primary emphasis on improving its defensive capabilities in the middle sector along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The current plan calls for the deployment of corps-level forces, or between 30,000 and 50,000 soldiers, to reinforce defences in a region where the Army has not been heavily present up to this point.
According to sources, the Army is actively exploring creating a fully-fledged XVIII Corps out of the Headquarters Uttar Bharat region, which is situated in Bareilly, under the Central Command. The Ministry of Defence is expecting to receive a proposal for this new Corps, which would be entrusted with guarding the middle sector’s borders with China.
The action was taken in response to the 2020 standoff in eastern Ladakh, which led the Indian Army to deploy some 68,000 troops as a precaution along the 3,488-kilometer-long Ladakh-Arunachal Pradesh border. Following a reorganisation in 2021, one Corps remained stationed near the border with Pakistan, while the 1 (Strike) Corps, situated in Mathura, shared tasks with the new 17 Mountain Corps, based in Panagarh, with a specific focus on securing the Line of Actual Command (LAC) with China.
According to those with knowledge of the situation, this move was made primarily to thwart a Chinese attack along the Liaison Area Corridor. Precautionary deployments have already been made by the Army throughout the LAC, especially in the Middle Sector in Uttarakhand, which consists of the four valleys of Harshil, Mana, Niti, and Barahoti.
Senior Army leaders such as Lt Gen RC Tiwari, Lt Gen JP Mathews, and Lt Gen NS Rajasubramani are major proponents of this strategy change. Their support of the proposal indicates that there is a general agreement among military officials over the necessity of having a strong presence in the area.
There are speculations that the XVIII Corps will first be established by deploying a Division and several Brigades, with plans to eventually expand to two Divisions. This action demonstrates the Indian Army’s dedication to strengthening its defences and maintaining a strong presence along the vital LAC.
