New Delhi - In late September, Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande is set to engage in discussions with the US Army chief and high-ranking military officials from approximately four other Indo-Pacific nations. This initiative aims to foster personal relationships and address "shared interests and challenges" in the region.
This move underscores India's commitment to positioning itself as a key player in the Indo-Pacific, countering an increasingly influential and assertive China. It also takes into account the US strategy to encircle China, as China pursues its 'string of pearls' strategy by establishing military and commercial facilities in the Indian Ocean region, potentially encircling India.
The event will commence with a curtain-raiser at New Delhi's Manekshaw Centre on September 20 and conclude on September 27. It is part of the Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC) and the Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar (IPAMS). The army chiefs of Australia, Japan, Singapore, and Maldives are expected to participate in the main discussions, along with defense attaches from approximately 30 countries.
This interaction between army chiefs coincides with the ongoing 'Exercise Trishul,' a significant annual exercise of the Indian Air Force (IAF), taking place from Monday and concluding on September 20. The exercise spans a wide area from Rajasthan to Ladakh, evidently designed to assess the IAF's readiness in the face of potential adversaries on two fronts.
Various key assets of the IAF, including fighter aircraft like Rafales, Sukhoi 30 MKIs, MiG 29s, transport aircraft such as the C-130J 'Super Hercules' and the C-17 'Globemaster,' helicopters like the 'Apache' and 'Chinook,' as well as a range of weapon systems, will be utilized in the exercise.
Amidst the unresolved border standoff with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in eastern Ladakh and Chinese President Xi Jinping's decision not to attend the upcoming G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi from September 9-10, India is intensifying its military activities, which hold significant strategic importance.
The bilateral relationship between these two Asian giants experienced another setback on August 28 when China released its 2023 edition of the 'standard map,' depicting India's Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin across Ladakh as part of China. This map was published by China's Ministry of Natural Resources to commemorate Surveying and Mapping Publicity Day and National Mapping Awareness Publicity Week.
Since a violent escalation in April 2020, both countries have amassed over 120,000 troops and substantial military assets along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).