Siachen Glacier—A Triangular Wedge In The Pakistan, China Threat At The World’s Third Pole

The Siachen Glacier is a critical, strategic triangle that India has wedged between Pakistan and China. That happened in April 1984, when India foiled Pakistan’s preparations to militarily occupy the Siachen Glacier. The surprise move pre-empted the Pakistan Army’s Operation Ababeel. In fact, this year, 2024, is the 40th anniversary of Operation Meghdoot. Given that, in Episode IX of ‘The Himalayan Frontier‘, a StratNews Global team of Amitabh P. Revi, Rohit Pandita, and Karan Marwaha travels from Leh, Ladakh’s capital to the Siachen Base Camp. This episode documents the strategic synergy between the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) in dealing with the Pakistan-China two-front threat around the Siachen Glacier.

BRO’s Critical Push 

Equally important, the BRO or Border Roads Organisation is making a sustained infrastructural push in the Siachen Glacier region as well. Significantly, the BRO is completing the Sasoma-Saser La-Saser Brangsa-Gapshan-Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) Road. The BRO faced significant challenges while building this connectivity link. It is after all is the world’s first glaciated road. This road is an alternate axis to the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road for the Indian Army’s northernmost base – DBO.

Siachen Glacier: Strategic Synergy Between Indian Army and Air Force
This ground report takes you from Leh to Khardung La at 17,982 feet, through the Nubra Valley to the Siachen Base Camp. At the Camp, we focus on aspects of the Siachen Battle School’s pre-induction training for troops at the world’s third pole. And film the role the IAF’s MI-17 and Cheetal helicopters have as a strategic lifeline for the forward posts at the Siachen Glacier. On location, we also find out who OP Baba is and why he is so revered. And at the end of this documentary, we pay homage at the Siachen War Memorial.

This episode was aired on March 8, 2024 at 7 PM IST. It got above 100,000+ views on March 9, 2024. 200,000+ views on March 12, 2024. After that, it crossed the 300,000+ Views mark on March 29, 2024. And 400,000 + on April 18, 2024.

 

The Himalayan Frontier

Watch the series:
Part I: An exclusive interview with the then Northern Army Commander, now Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen. Upendra Dwivedi . He tells StratNews Global Editor-in-Chief Nitin Gokhale that the “situation is stable but sensitive and not normal”.
In Part II, the Indian Army Chief, General Manoj Pande speaks to Nitin Gokhale in an exclusive interview. He point out that talks with China are continuing at both military and diplomatic levels but also notes India is maintaining a robust posture along the LAC.
Part III documents India’s Infra Thrust To Ladakh In Countering China & Pakistan. A ground report.
Episode IV: The Nimu-Padam-Darcha (NPD) Road: Critical Connectivity To China, Pakistan Himalayan Fronts In Ladakh
Part V: The Director General of the BRO, Lt General Raghu Srinivasan speaks to us on the frozen Zanskar River ‘Chadar’ trail.
Episode VI: The Indian Air Force & China, Pakistan Two-Front Ladakh Threat. Watch an interview with the Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Leh, Air Commodore D.S.Handa.
Part VII: The Indian Air Force’s China Challenge In Ladakh And A Slice Of Tibet. A ground report.
Episode VIII: The Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhuri speaks exclusively to Nitin A. Gokhale.