Real life what-if, Indian Army assault on Deigo Garcia

This has happened but was called off at the last second.

I've been wracking my brain for years coming up with the scenario on how this could be done.

What we do know. Captain Lemontree's father was part of an ambulance tasked to taking Deigo Garcia. He was getting ready to bore his plane when the assault was called off.

Based on that, I deduced that this was a brigade size airborne operation.

Add to this, Indian posters have stated that the InAF have at least talked about kamakazie attacks on the USS ENTERPRISE.

Go to it, people. Come up with the size of forces, what size initial entry forces, what objectives, and how do they hold Deigo Garcia ... or do they even intend to hold it?

[astralis]

what was the context and reason given for an attack?

[Officer of Engineers]

This the USS ENTERPRISE incident during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War

[Native]

This might be a useful reference.

Operation Cactus 1988
Main article: Operation Cactus
With the capture of Maldives, an island nation off the south western coast of India on 3 November 1988 by PLOTE mercenaries, the army turned to the 50 (Independent ) Parachute Brigade to carry out an airborne/air transported operation to liberate the country and return power to the legal government. This operation had 6 Para spearheading the mission. 6 Para flew in on 4 November 1988 in a fleet of IL-76, An-32 and An-12 transport aircraft. One team rescued the president, another took over the airfield and a third rescued Maldivian security personnel besieged in their NSS HQ. Later 7 Para & part of 17 Para Fd Regt were also deployed to the Maldives. When mercenaries tried to escape by sea along with hostages, they were intercepted by the Indian navy. Thus, 6 Para ,7 Para & 17 Para Fd Regt conducted the first ever international intervention by the Indian army without any loss of life.

Side note: I was sailing by during this and watched the airborne assault on radar. Was pretty interesting to watch.

[1979]

Enterprise keeps a safe distance, sure they can overwhelm the carrier air group by sheer numbers but the problem is their land based interceptors lack range to take the fight to the carrier . The carrier has to come to them and that was unlikely to happen.
plus the carrier battle group is a small navy by itself and as Dreadnought pointed out they pack a lot of FLAK.
the armament of the sukoi and migs is designed for CAS at best, not taking down big carriers, albeit the explosion of a ZUNNI rocket on the flight deck can cause a lot of problems.
i'll look into what guided weaponry they got back than, but my gut feeling tells me flak is still going to be a problem.

EDIT:
They got AS-7 KERRY IN 1985 (which is basically a AGM-12 Bullpup copy ) so no fancy weaponry in 1971 , if they bomb they do it ww2 style.

[Native]

So this scenario takes place in 1971?

On 23 January 1971, a nine man advance party from NMCB-40 landed
on Diego Garcia to initiate a preliminary survey for beach landing areas.
Fifty additional Seabees from Amphibious Construction Battalion Two
landed on the island and marked underwater obstructions, installed
temporary navigational aids and cleared beach areas for landing
additional personnel and materials. On 20 March 1971, an additional
party of 160 Seabees from NMCB-40 arrived. Construction for U.S. Naval
Communication Facility Diego Garcia was started four days later by the
Seabees from NMCB-1 and finished by NMCB-62. The Seabees also
started construction of an interim runway - to support the
Communication Facility.
In October and November of 1971, Detachment CHAGOS of NMCB 71
and the whole of NMCB 1 arrived, marking the beginning of large-scale
construction. NMCB 1 built the transmitter and receiver buildings and
placed the base course for the permanent runway and parking apron. In
July 1972, NMCB 62 relieved NMCB-1 and took over the departing
3/19/12 Diego Garcia "Camp Justice"
http://www.globalsecurit��.org/milit...ego-garcia.htm 3/10
battalion's projects. On 25 December the first C-141J transport landed
on the newly completed 6,000 foot runway with the Bob Hope Christmas
Troupe.

Curious, I wonder if the idea of taking Diego Garcia was from the Soviets?

[commander]

Just want to update the link provided by Native

Diego Garcia "Camp Justice"

[Blademaster]

Despite a token force, I fail to see how the IAF and IN could land there and take off. The runway was not completed till 1972.

[Officer of Engineers]

We know it's a full scale op. Otherwise, you don't take an ambulance which also means that they were expecting casualties.

[commander]

Despite a token force, I fail to see how the IAF and IN could land there and take off. The runway was not completed till 1972.

So BM what about the chances of Pearl Harbour like strike ?? Rather than sending para troops to land and try to take control just send a fleet of Ouragon's and try to create some damage ???

[commander]

what objectives, and how do they hold Deigo Garcia ... or do they even intend to hold it?

Sir I am no Military expert but in my opinion holding against US army so far from mainland could have been suicidal the intentions might be just to create some damage and head back home ???

[Officer of Engineers]

Sir I am no Military expert but in my opinion holding against US army so far from mainland could have been suicidal the intentions might be just to create some damage and head back home ???

Well, the problem with your scenario is that you're ignoring what the force is telling you. First, this is not some hypothesis. This actually happened.

Ambulances are brigade level assets, well, it's actually division level for the Indian Army. To include it means a nasty fight and casualties must be collected which means a holding area of some kind. For an airborne operation, cargo space is at a premium, you don't transport things you don't need. That ambulance takes the space of a mortar section. If that ambulance is going, it means that the ambulance is more important to an extra mortar section.

[1979]

So BM what about the chances of Pearl Harbour like strike ?? Rather than sending para troops to land and try to take control just send a fleet of Ouragon's and try to create some damage ???

fighter bombers cant fly that far out.
it's basically either a paratrooper / naval operation but if Enterprise positioned itself between the island and the mainland ,
the landing party is cut off.

[Blademaster]

What was the orbat of IAF's airlift capability in 1971? Tankers? IAF had no tankers. How could IAF have aerial escorts without means of refueling? It means that the carrier would be escorting IAF's cargo planes all the way.

It was a suicide trip if you had no escorts and the cargo planes would be at the mercy of any USN battlegroup.

[Officer of Engineers]

You can't help but admire the gutsy move but as I stated, I've been wracking my brain for years on this one but I do not see what the InA saw at the time.