The story so far: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is all set to overhaul its training and operational strategy. On October 22, ITBP Director-General Shatrujeet Kapur, while addressing the Himveer Samman Samaroah at the Central Training College (CTC) at Alwar in Rajasthan said that the newly raised Shaurya Commandos had done an exemplary work during the recent “face-off” with Chinese troops, which “continues at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh.”
Mr. Kapur said, “In the past few-days, a situation arose where face-off happened at several locations in Arunachal and it still continues. Our Shaurya commandos played an exemplary role in this.”
The 1-hour 13 minute long-video where Mr. Kapur also stressed on the need to invest and develop drone and counter-drone technology adding that it may not be possible to face China through traditional methods as they have invested a lot in the modernisation of their weapons and infrastructure, has since been taken down from ITBP’s official You Tube page.
What is ITBP’s primary role?
The ITBP was formed on October 24, 1962 after the Indo-China war. The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), specialised in border guarding duties and posted at an altitude of up to 18,900 feet, was initially raised with only four battalions. Each battalion in the ITBP, one of the seven CAPFs, typically comprises over 1,300 personnel. They are deployed at 228 border outposts (BOPs) from the Karakoram Pass in the north-west to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh in the north-east.
Most forward posts remain cut off by land routes, and temperature at these locations sometimes dips to minus 45 degree Celsius. The border posts are exposed to high-velocity storms, snow blizzards, avalanches, and landslides. Post Kargil war, in pursuance of Group of Ministers recommendations to stick to ‘One Border one Force’, the entire border guarding duties along China was assigned to the ITBP in 2004. The ITBP, though being the primary force deployed along the China border works in coordination with the Army in certain locations. Army has been seeking operational control of the army for the past many years, the government has not agreed to the proposal.
Since the LAC is neither demarcated nor fenced, ITBP acts as “eyes and ears” to report Chinese activities and violations near and across the border and is the lead intelligence agency.
What is the Strike course?
The D-G, in his address to the officers and jawans of ITBP said that to deal with situations like “Galwan”, the Training Directorate has designed a “good course” called ‘Strike’ to improve the operational preparedness. For the Strike course, 330 master trainers have been trained and 10,000 ITBP personnel have undergone the training. He said that from December onwards the training will be held continuously in all units, and the whole Force’s Strike training will be completed before the end of 2027. The equipment needed for it will also be available at all the forward Border Outposts (BOPs), he said. On June 15, 2020, at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at Galwan Valley in Ladakh. Days before this, in May-June 2020, ITBP jawans arrested Chinese troops in their tracks at multiple locations along the undefined Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. Later as many as 291 jawans were accorded Director General commendation rolls and discs “for their gallant actions during the face offs and border skirmishes” as their “befitting response” helped safeguard many “hyper sensitive” locations from the Chinese troops.
Who are the Shaurya commandos?
Mr. Kapur said that ITBP wants to go back to its roots and plans to establish a dedicated elite high-altitude commando battalion. He said that the Shaurya commandos played an exemplary role during the recent face-off with the Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh. He stated that ITBP was raised as a mountain guerilla force and they were given border guarding duty along whole of China border in 2004. “We need not leave our original function and a specialised high altitude mountain fighting force is being set up, distinct than the army. We will soon have one full battalion of Shaurya commandos, high-altitude (deployment) is our strength,” Mr. Kapur said.
He said that ITBP’s Operations Wing is working on the structure of the dedicated commando battalion.
“....But there’s no need to give up our original mandate completely. Guerrilla warfare isn’t needed as much today, but as a high-altitude fighting force, a mountain fighting force, we must build a distinct identity of our own, separate from all the other CAPFs and even from the Army. ....this commando battalion will be an elite battalion of ours; it will give the Force an identity — and it will be for high altitude. Esvery force has commandos: there’s the NSG {National Security Guard}, and BSF {Border Security Force}, CRPF {Central Reserve Police Force}, all of them have them — but the high-altitude expertise is ITBP’s alone. That is a very big strength of ours: we can go to any height and carry out whatever responsibility we are given in the best possible way, asnd the whole country trusts us for it. And to strengthen that trust further, we will work hard to make these [commando teams] in every battalion a success,” Mr. Kapur said.
What about conventional war-methods and importance of drones?
Mr. Kapur said that drones have become a big challenge, and they are also an opportunity. He said that taking on China with conventional methods may now be difficult, because they have invested a lot in conventional capabilities, and have modernised a great deal and were “far ahead.”
“But drones are something with which a relatively small force, a small country, can take on a big country very well. Ukraine is relatively small compared with Russia, but every month about 10000-15000 Russian soldiers are being killed. Russia being such a big country, despite being a superpower , and in Ukraine their idea was that they would capture Ukraine in a month or two — now it’s the fourth year. See what an enormous loss it is; they are paying the price of one decision.
Look at Iran, how they took on a superpower like America, with their drones, they have neither an Air Force nor a Navy; the army wasn’t even needed. So the role of these conventional forces of ours has now changed, ever since drones arrived,” Mr. Kapur said.
He said ITBP needs to go big on drones and anti-drone systems. Out of Rs 400 crore modernisation funds sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), around 70% funds has been dedicated for drones and anti-drone systems alone. He said in every border-guarding battalion, a drone platoon will be created. He added, “We have also started making drones in-house, so that we don’t depend on others, on outside suppliers; so that we are self-reliant and make our own drones.”
He said there is another big modernisation scheme in the works, to which MHA has agreed in principle to allocate Rs 3,500 crore–4,000 crore for ITBP alone, out of which Rs 1,000 crore will be reserved for drone and anti-drone systems.
He said the weapons used by the ITBP are 50-years old and modernisation is required.
What about underground structures?
He further added that a decision has been taken to build as many underground shelters as those above the ground in the next-three years along the China border. “Underground shelters are key to new warfare, anything overground can be a target, in hot-war situations, underground shelters are a priority. All companies have started pilot project on building underground structures, which will act as permanent defences. They should be comfortable with adequate bathrooms, ventilation, drainage. Once the design is final through pilot project, every border outpost will have the same number of overground and underground structure in the next three years. It will protect us in any war situation,” Mr. Kapur said.