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Mahesh

26/07/24 11:07 AM IST

Kargil Vijay Diwas

In News
  • The Kargil War officially ended 25 years ago, on July 26, 1999.
  • The Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on this day, commemorates India’s victory against Pakistan, and the sacrifices of her soldiers.
Kargil War
  • The conflict was triggered when infiltrators from Pakistan crossed the LoC and occupied high positions in Ladakh’s Kargil district.
  • First reported to the Indian Army on May 3, the infiltrators were initially thought to be jihadis.
  • But over the next few weeks, as the sheer scale of the invasion came to light, the role of the Pakistani state became undeniable.
  • Between mid-May and July, the Indian forces slowly recaptured critical positions from the Pakistanis, in the face of heavy casualties.
  • The Army announcing the complete withdrawal of all Pakistani regular and irregular troops from Kargil on July 26.
  • As per official figures, Indian casualties at the end of the War stood at 527 dead, 1,363 wounded and 1 PoW (Fl Lt K Nachiketa, whose MiG-27 was shot down during a strike operation).
  • Beyond the enemy infiltrators, who were well-armed and supported by non-stop shelling from the Pakistani side, the conditions of Kargil were a challenge in and of themselves.
Location of Kargil
  • Kargil is located at the northern edge of the LoC, some 200 km northeast of Srinagar and 230 km west of Leh.
  • Kargil town lies at an altitude of 2,676 m (8,780 ft), Dras lies at a height of 3,300 m (10,800 ft), and the surrounding peaks rise to altitudes of 4,800 m (16,000 ft) to 5,500 m (18,000 ft).
  • These extreme heights cause severe physiological effects on the one’s body — and equipment.  “The combination of thin air, cold weather and rugged mountains has dramatic effects on men and their equipment.
  • Challenge number one was the crippling cold. The battlefield in Kargil lay in a cold desert where winter temperatures dropped to as low as -30 degrees Celsius.
  • While the summers were more pleasant, frigid winds and the barren landscape still made the battlefield inhospitable.
  • The cold impacted both the men and the machines – guns jammed while their operators expended great amounts of energy to keep the body warm.
  • Problem number two was the thin air, and reduced oxygen levels.
  • This led to a wide range of physiological effects among soldiers including acute mountain sickness (AMS), which can cause headaches, nausea, appetite loss, muscular weakness, and general fatigue.
  • In addition to sapping the strength of the soldiers, low air pressure impacted the performance of both weapons and aircraft.
  • While it increased the range of the projectiles fired, accuracy and predictability suffered. Aircraft engines produced less power, and helicopters lost rotor efficiency.
  • The  terrain  imposed significant restrictions on soldiers. It reduced mobility, provided cover to the enemy, and limited the scope of operations.
  • During the Kargil War, the Indian Army was at a particular disadvantage with the enemy occupying high positions overlooking the positions held by Indians.
Challenges
  • The Army modified its methods to overcome these challenges. Units initiated acclimatisation and training programs to better prepare the soldiers for the conditions.
  • Better cold-weather equipment was procured (although the Army remained lacking in this regard throughout the War).
  • Techniques for high-altitude assault were further honed. Instead of daytime frontal attacks, assaults increasingly featured small groups scaling near-vertical terrain.
  • Most importantly, the Army coordinated overwhelming firepower with daring manoeuvres. Massive artillery fire preceded all attacks.
  • With limitations of providing air cover to the ground forces due to the altitude and the terrain, the Army eventually leaned heavily on artillery, especially the controversial Bofors gun whose range nearly doubled in the thin air of Kargil
  • India’s hard-fought victory in the Kargil War illustrated the timeless challenges posed by combat at high altitude – challenges which are as deadly, if not more, than the enemy itself.
Source- Indian Express

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