Assam Rifles plans op changes for deployment on LAC, if required
- The Assam Rifles is strategizing operational changes to perform conventional roles along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
- This in addition to its traditional counter-insurgency duties in the Northeast and guarding the India-Myanmar border.
Key Points
- Operational Shift Discussed
- Aims to deploy more than 70% of Assam Rifles soldiers along the LAC in contingencies.
Assam Rifles Overview
- Comprises 46 battalions with a sanctioned strength of over 65,000 troops.
- 20 battalions involved in guarding the India-Myanmar border.
- 26 battalions engaged in counter-insurgency roles, including two in Jammu and Kashmir.
Focus on LAC and China
- Reflects India's growing focus on China and securing the LAC.
- Various measures taken over the past three years to increase vigilance and strengthen deployment along the LAC.
Preparations for Conventional War-Fighting
- Plans to equip Assam Rifles with additional weaponry, communication equipment, and military vehicles.
- Procurement includes 81 mm mortars, medium grenade launchers, night vision goggles, handheld thermal imagers, and ammunition.
- Soldiers trained regularly with the Army in various activities, emphasising mine laying and offensive roles.
Technology Intensive Approach
- Plans to make the force more technology-intensive over the next few months.
- Focus on procuring weapons and equipment in line with the larger focus on China.
Strategic Significance of Northeast
- Director General of Assam Rifles highlights the strategic significance of the Northeast in India's engagement with Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
- Proximity to China and its role in India’s Act East Policy emphasised.
Historical Involvement and Recent Contributions
- Assam Rifles troops participated in the 1962 war and fought the Chinese in Arunachal Pradesh.
- Contribution during the Galwan valley clashes in 2020, supporting the Army along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
Prelims Takeaway
- Assam Rifles