Defenceinfo Bureau Report
General V K Singh, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, visited the Udhampur based, Headquarter, Northern Command, on Thursday, February, 09, 2012.The objective of the visit was to review the Command war game whereby the security and geo-strategic situation in Jammu and Kashmir was discussed by the top officials of the Command. The COAS was accompanied by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, Air Marshal D C Kumaria and the Army’s Director General Military Operations, Lt General A K Choudhary. Participation of the Air Force reflects the recent efforts being made by the Armed Forces to bring about synergy in operational scenarios.The COAS held discussions with the Army Commander, Northern Command, the Corps Commanders of the Jammu, Srinagar and Leh based Corps and other senior officers.
It is a routine matter for the COAS to visit Command Headquarters at a time when they are holding war games. Normally the visit takes place on the last day of the exercise as was the case in this instance also. The Northern Command is special in view of its operational responsibilities which includes counter insurgency/counter terrorism operations while manning sensitive borders of a frontier State with inimical neighbours like China and Pakistan. The Command is facing multiple challenges like unabated cross border infiltration, a misplaced political demand of revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), increased Chinese belligerence along the line of actual control and Chinese presence in Pakistan occupied Northern Areas. The COAS asked the field commanders to maintain strict vigil all along the borders and neutralize the militants groups operating in the parts of Jammu and Kashmir. He also instructed the officers to assist civilian population, facing hostile weather conditions in far flung and mountainous areas of the State. The context of his statement makes it very clear Army’s strategy to intensify its counter terrorism operations. Assistance to the civilian population would be given as a humanitarian gesture while also attempting to win the hearts and minds of the locals. Even though reference has not been made to the Army’s posture so far as China is concerned, undoubtedly, the reference of the Chief to enhanced vigilance would be directed towards this aspect and the
