Thread: India Vs. China (borderline War)

Originally Posted by FullTank

5.I feel India would run out of ordinances first in the war. what do you think?



6. What kind of response can be put up by India if the first few SSM's are on the current base in Tezpur etc where MKI's are present thus taking out the planes and airbase? There are only 3 squadrons of them currently. This followed up with a missile attack on HAL manufacturing base?


7. Would China launch conventional missiles on locations where it thinks Indian nukes exist as part of the war strategy? With these locations already destroyed and only a handful of them perhaps remaining no way Indian leadership will pop the remaining on China back in an angry response knowing that the response from China will be devastating on the subcontinent.

First of all India has SSM Capability of its own unlike Pakistan's so called 'home made' one, Second it is imaginable that India will retaliate in Tibet where China has its base. If HAL manufacturing base is attacked then Sanghai and Beijing also come under the range of new AGNI- III IRBM (3000-3300KM.) On What earth you are predicting that India will run out of ammo?
Simple imagination work.

Who told you that Chinese effect will be such devastating ? and don't think India will have only handful of missile ?

Now, I think you should write it in Indo-Pak war context, Pakistan will have devastating effect if it dares to attack India,your imagination is quite suitable in Pakistani context.

Forgot so easily 1967 Chola incident?

The question of missile strike comes when border war escalates into full war.
Ground situation is different now from 1987, when india deployed 10 divisions and squadrons of Fighters in response of chinese force deployment. The situation was eased by diplomatic effort. During Kargil war both India and Pakistan had fought in Kargil though both had missile and nuke in possession did not use it. Pakistan suffered Heavy Defeat due to lack of fighting skill in high mountain area, and successful strike by IAF on their base in high hilltop. China is concerned with the USA as well , it will not deploy its maximum force in southern border.China will certainly not tend to go border war with nuke powered India rather it will try to engage India through diplomatically. In 1999 China for example maintained a rather neutral stand by not siding with its close ally Pakistan. This is an indication. But we should not let up building a strong presence in Sino-Indo border area, and be watchful whether China does not make any misadventurism.

Originally Posted by FullTank

Colonel, very interesting reading ur and urmomma's views on tactics by the PLA on another thread.

Sorry for the late reply. So many threads. Lost track of this one.

Didnt want to reopen up the other thread since its related to the current topic.

Originally Posted by FullTank

1. What kind of artillary range and firepower are we talking about wrt to the PLA? What would the likely targets?

Checking Andy Chan's ORBAT, there are 3 artillery regiments that can immediately be used (152mm tubes) but the PLA has prepositioned enough equipment for 2 more (122mm tubes).

Originally Posted by FullTank

2. What kind of SSM range and firepower are we talking about wrt to the PLA? What would the likely targets? Can the intensity be maintained?

Not likely as a carpet strike. The bulk of their SSM forces are still aimed at Taiwan. India is just not big enough of a concern. If they have 60 days, they can move 5 brigades from Taiwan but I doubt they would have all their targeting procedures done.

Originally Posted by FullTank

3. Wouldnt the high altitude give an automatic advantage to the PLA wrt artillary(even SSM)?

No, both sides are very adapt to reverse slope emplacement.

Originally Posted by FullTank

4.Wouldnt the use of SSM's lead to confusion regarding whether it contains a nuclear warhead and thus lead to nuclear war? Would any country take this risk?Or is this a naive question?

Flight time is too short for any kind of nuclear response by either side. Impact would've occurred long before either side can even issue a warning, let alone a firing order. At which point, you would know if it was a nuclear event or not.

Originally Posted by FullTank

5.I feel India would run out of ordinances first in the war. what do you think?

That would depend on what type of war. The PLA has stockpiled a hell of alot of stock but by the same token, it has inferior manpower numbers to begin with.

Originally Posted by FullTank

6. What kind of response can be put up by India if the first few SSM's are on the current base in Tezpur etc where MKI's are present thus taking out the planes and airbase? There are only 3 squadrons of them currently. This followed up with a missile attack on HAL manufacturing base?

You're talking a full scale war, including targeting civilian infrastructure. I can only say that neither side is thinking that. The PLA's War Zone Campaign and the InA's Cold Start doctrines all have a specific purpose in mind - fast, bold, decisive actions. Those essentially means military targets and a major ground battle between the two armies before both sides retreat.

Originally Posted by FullTank

7. Would China launch conventional missiles on locations where it thinks Indian nukes exist as part of the war strategy? With these locations already destroyed and only a handful of them perhaps remaining no way Indian leadership will pop the remaining on China back in an angry response knowing that the response from China will be devastating on the subcontinent.

Numbers ain't in it. Indian nukes are too disbursed for a confident take down (warheads stored away from missiles requiring at least a 5 missile barrage on each individual warhead and each individual missile - that is if you can find them all).

Thanks OoE for your clear points, but I think both sides will avert a full scale war(both having nukes and missiles). I think they will try to solve it diplomatically though it can not be ruled out that again both side will resort to warning and counter warning,(I think first will come from China as it gave a rhetoric statement in 1987 and counter warning will be followed by India.). Even 1967 Chola incident when India Armed Forces fought one day long border clash(1st October 1967 - 2nd October 1967)in Sikkim with the Chinese PLA where Indian troops defeated the Chinese and expelled them from Pt 15450, this border clash did not escalate into a full scale war.