New Delhi, Oct 23: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has raised drone platoons in all its border units, developed a new ‘Strike’ course to prepare troops for Galwan-like battles and is building underground infrastructure along the frontier to counter China, which the force’s chief described as India’s “biggest adversary”.
ITBP Director General Shatrujeet Singh Kapur said on Thursday that the force was modernising its personnel, weapons, vehicles and border posts, as traditional methods of warfare were no longer sufficient to deal with emerging security challenges.
Addressing ITBP personnel at a force base in Rajasthan’s Alwar, Kapur also said face-offs with Chinese troops had occurred at several locations along the Arunachal Pradesh border in recent days and that the situation continued.
“In the past few days, a situation arose where face-offs happened at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh, and it still continues,” he said.
The modernisation measures include raising drone platoons across all border units, introducing the new ‘Strike’ training course to improve preparedness for high-intensity combat similar to the 2020 Galwan clash, and developing underground infrastructure along the frontier “in a big way”.
Kapur said countering China through “traditional” means of warfare was a thing of the past, underscoring the need to adapt to changing combat requirements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The ITBP chief also highlighted the formation of the Shaurya Commandos, a new combat unit whose personnel, he said, had demonstrated their capabilities during the ongoing face-offs with Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh.
The commandos will be deployed in every border battalion, providing the force with enhanced operational capabilities and a distinct identity, Kapur said.
The ITBP, established in 1962, guards the 3,488-km-long LAC between India and China. Its personnel operate across the Himalayan frontier, where difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions pose significant operational challenges.
Kapur’s remarks come amid continuing efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise bilateral relations following years of military tensions along the LAC. The ITBP chief is scheduled to retire at the end of October.
India and China reached an understanding in October 2024 to resolve the military standoff in eastern Ladakh, which had continued for more than four years and severely strained bilateral ties.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar last week stressed that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas was essential for normalising relations between the two countries, warning that any disruption along the frontier would have consequences for bilateral ties.
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India on September 12-13 to attend the BRICS Summit, marking his first visit to the country in seven years. He also held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review relations and discuss ways to strengthen cooperation.
With inputs from agencies