Winter is Coming

Mohammad Asif Khan

Winter is a formidable adversary in warfare and has significantly impacted historical military campaigns. Napoleon’s Grande Armée, once invincible, faltered in the Russian snow during the ill-fated invasion of 1812. Hitler’s Wehrmacht, too, met its frozen demise on the vast steppes of the Eastern Front during World War II.

On 15 June 2020, Indian Army personnel clashed with Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh. The confrontation turned deadly as both sides engaged in hand-to-hand combat using improvised weapons like iron rods and clubs. This resulted in the tragic loss of lives, with 20 Indian soldiers and an undisclosed number of Chinese troops losing their lives.

Just months before this clash, the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India released a report revealing that Indian troops were facing a shortage of proper clothing and equipment for high-altitude areas. The report also noted that soldiers were not receiving the proper rations sanctioned for the requisite calorific intake. It mentioned that some soldiers had to make do with recycled multi-purpose boots, which protect feet at temperatures up to minus 55 degrees Celsius. The stock level of all-terrain goggles was also low, ranging from just 5.6 per cent to 16.1 per cent against the authorised levels.

The defence ministry’s response to this report was that deficiencies were due to budgetary constraints and a sudden increase in authorisation for such equipment. They also stated that there was no deficiency at the troop level and that any emergency requirements could be met through reserves or procurement using Army Commander Special Financial Powers.

Following the Galwan clash, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in two separate incidents in the eastern sector of the LAC (line of actual control): one in September 2021 near North Sikkim and another in November 2022 near the Tawang sector, both involving physical altercations along the LAC.

After these clashes, India urgently purchased more high-altitude winter clothing from the United States (US) for the troops at forward locations in eastern Ladakh. This purchase was made possible by the LEMOA (Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement) agreement between India and the US. The Indian Army quickly set up heated shelters, bunkers and arctic tents, and acquired specialised winter clothing, gear and other essential supplies for over 50,000 troops stationed at the friction points with China.

India also turned to European markets to quickly obtain more winter clothing for soldiers facing temperatures of minus 25 degrees Celsius. They