New division of Army on India-China border

The Indian Army has activated a new division to counter possible Chinese offensive on the Sino-Indian border.

The 71 mountain division in Assam will be under the command of the Tezpur-based 4 Corps.

Earlier, the government had approved two divisions in the north-east for conventional operations to bolster preparedness against China.

The army is working towards raising troops for these but, as of now, there will be internal movement from within the army to start the 71 division, army sources said. Nine new battalions are needed under the new division.

The divisions will mostly have infantry elements, but some armoured assets will also form a part of them at a later stage.

While the 71 division is still organising its infrastructure and cadres, the 56 division with two brigades is in the process of setting up its Orbat (order of battle). Orbat is the command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force during field operations.

A source said: “Re-Orbatting will take place depending on the roles of the brigade.”