Limits of technology

Technology and High Altitude

Revolutions in technology drive tactical doctrines. In the present day, Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) and technology are the buzzwords in militaries the globe. My endeavour here is to briefly relate the impact of technology, or the lack of it, on the high-altitude battlefield. During operations in Kargil, I realized that technology is not all pervasive. Certain regions of the world still remain unaffected by the surge in military technology. The Kargil War threw up contradictions in the field of technology, where many technologies fizzled out due to a combination of terrain and weather, while others proved to be game changers. Unaffected by advances in technology, the basic elements of warfare, fire and manoeuvre, remained unchanged. Kargil showcased that mountain warfare in essence was primarily the domain of the infantry (manoeuvre) and artillery (fire) in equal measure.

The Vietnam War(1955-1975) substantiated that technology need not necessarily lead to victory every time. The Americans, equipped with high-end technology, were not able to conclude the war successfully against the Vietnamese. The conventional superiority of the US was ineffective against a country that was not industrialized. The Viet Congs employed guerrilla tactics, using the dense jungle as cover, to their advantage. Nor could the Americans,