LADAKH: Amid the ongoing tensions over transgressions by the Chinese in Eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army is keeping its formidable Bofors howitzers ready for operations.
In a visit to the maintenance facilities for the Bofors guns in Ladakh, ANI could see the effort with which the engineers of the force are servicing and maintaining the 155mm Bofors gun in Ladakh.
The Bofors gun, which was inducted into the regiment of artillery in the mid-1980s, is capable of firing both in low and high angles will be deployed in Ladakh once they will be serviced.
In Ladakh, Army Engineers were seen servicing one such Bofors gun which they said that it will be ready to roar in a few days.
According to the officials, the gun required periodical servicing and maintenance to keep roaring for which technicians have been deployed to keep it in working.
Bofors was instrumental in winning many battles of Operation Vijay was displayed in Dras in Jammu and Kashmir recently.
In the workshop, Army Engineers are responsible to maintain and service all such weaponry required in odd situations.
"From a firing pin to engine assembly of a tank, Technical store groups job is to provide everything. This vehicle behind is mobile spares van, through this we provide components in the forward areas to repair technicians," Lt Colonel Preeti Kanwar said while briefing about Army's preparation in regards to servicing and maintenance in the forward areas.
The Bofors guns proved their mettle in the Kargil war of 1999 against Pakistan by destroying the bunkers and bases built on high altitude mountains with ease and causing heavy damage to the Pakistan Army.
the Indian Army is geared up with all-weather accommodation and clothing for its jawans even if the temperature drops to -50 degrees in the winters ahead.
The Army has stocked up on every commodity which is essential to keep its personnel safe and alert during the winters.
The Army is providing the troops deployed in high altitude areas with multi-layered clothing. According to the Indian Army officials, these clothing will not only help the jawans to stay safe from the weather but also it will help them in hiding from the enemy.
These also come equipped with several types of equipment which the jawans need to climb on mountains or walk comfortably in the high altitude areas.
In the first layer of clothing, there are inner trousers and a dark-coloured jacket, while in the second layer a green colour jacket and another set of trousers are being provided to them.
Similarly, on the third layer, which is also the outer layer, a jawan has to wear a white colour jacket and trouser along with specialised shoes.
There are also multi-layered gloves for hands and socks which will keep them warm even during intense cold conditions.
"Every jawan who is deployed in the high altitude area gets 21 items. This includes special clothing, equipment, etc which are displayed," Lieutenant Colonel Monrak Sadh said.
On the other hand, for accommodation, the Indian Army has sufficient stock of tentages ranging from big to small. The bigger ones can hold almost a dozen jawans while the smaller ones are for a single jawan.
These tents have heaters and can keep jawans warm and safe even in -50 degree temperatures.
These tents are made up of multiple layers, have a waterproof cover on the outside while the inside layer is made up of quilt fabric which helps in keeping the temperature inside high. Also, they also come equipped with solar panels through which the basic needs of electricity of the jawans can be fulfilled.
"This is the biggest depot of Ladakh where we have special tentages, clothing, heating appliances, etc which we provide to jawans. There are different tents small and big for the high altitude. These have been provided to all our jawans," Sadh said.
Amid the tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, the Indian Army has stocked up the oil depots in Ladakh to supply fuel to the troops and protect them from the biting cold ahead of the winter season.
Multiple rounds of talks have failed to yield any significant result in defusing the tensions and now the Indian side has prepared itself for long term deployment in the high mountainous region.