India holds military exercises in disputed region

China and India briefly went to war with each other in 1962, but the effort turned out to be much more difficult than anticipated for both sides. The high altitude, barren landscape, and rugged terrain are formidable challenges to a modern military.

Over the past few years, this region has once again heated up. Nothing really has changed since 1962, and both sides seem to have been expecting the other to concede.

 

From The Times of India:

NEW DELHI: India has begun major military exercises close to the Chinese border involving Special Forces of the Army and frontline fighters such as Su-30MKI as part of the endeavour to be battle ready in the inhospitable mountainous region. Code-named as 'Pralay' (devastation), the day-and-night exercises are mainly dominated by the aerial manoeuvres with support by ground forces.

The four-day exercises in the north-eastern sector, including Arunachal Pradesh, began yesterday, coinciding with the official India visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jeichi here. China has been laying claim over entire Arunachal Pradesh and voices objections whenever any senior union minister visits the state. IAF spokesman said the exercises were taking place "along the Brahmaputra river and eastern region" and "involves joint Army-Air Force operations by Eastern Air Command and Army Eastern Command."

The exercise is aimed at testing the combat potential of the IAF in various roles such as air defence, ground support operations, counter air operations and electronic warfare, he said. Besides the frontline Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000, MiG-29 and Jaguar fighter aircraft, IAF would be flying the strategic lift C-130J transport plane along with AN-32 and the AWACS.

Also, from The Washington Post: 

A visit by India’s defense minister to a border state claimed by China, accompanied by a fly-past by fighter jets recently stationed in the area, provoked some frosty advice from Beijing not to “complicate” matters. In return, the Indian defense minister, A.K. Antony, called China’s comments “most unfortunate” and “really objectionable.”

The spat, experts say, is a symptom of a deterioration in relations that began in 2005, as India drew closer to the United States and negotiated a civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
That new alignment appeared to threaten Beijing and set relations with India on a downward spiral — so much so that India’s multibillion-dollar military-modernization plans are now largely directed toward containing the growing threat from China.

“Ever since the U.S. nuclear deal in 2005, relations with China have been going through a turbulent time,” said Brahma Chellaney at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi. “Nothing has changed in recent months to suggest that turbulence is easing or subsiding. What we are seeing actually is that Chinese state media is taking an increasingly hard line.”