Is cold war matrix back to haunt the world? War games from Himalayas to Pacific Ocean
As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training exercise, code named 'Yudh Abhyas 2016' is scheduled from September 14 to 27, in Chaubattia.
The return of cold war rivalry, one-upmanship on the global diplomatic chess board, leading to realignment of powers became quite evident on Monday, though unwittingly from two war games one being played in the Himalayas and the other in the far-off Pacific Ocean. While India and the United States are scheduled to begin war games in Uttarakhand from Wednesday near Sino-Indian border, the newfound allies Chinese and Russians began naval manoeuvres in South China Sea. Experts here believe that the exercises are loaded with tough diplomaitc messages, not only for the four countries involved in the games, but for the rest of world as well.
As part of the ongoing Indo-US defence cooperation, a joint military training exercise, code named 'Yudh Abhyas 2016' is scheduled from September 14 to 27, in Chaubattia. The exercise is aimed at simulating a scenario where both nations were working together to counter insurgency and terrorism in mountainous terrain under UN charter.
On Monday, Russian and Chinese navies for the first time began war exercises (codenamed Joint Sea-2016), marking a leap forward in their military ties and also signaling a significant show of strategic congruence. Both navies have deputed surface ships, submarines, fixed-wing aircraft, ship-borne helicopters marine corps and amphibious armored equipment for the exercise. In addition to undertaking defence, rescue, and anti-submarine operations, the two navies will exercise to seize islands, sea crossing and island landing operations, and island defense and offense exercises among others.
Chinese newspaper Global Times reported that its South Sea Fleet (SSF) and Russia's Pacific Fleet is participating. The SSF playes a major role in the disputed waters of the South China Sea and, in fact, was instrumental in occupying the Paracel Islands in 1974.
Just six days, ago much to the US chagrin, Russia supported China's stance on the South China Sea, rejecting the Hague Arbitration Court ruling. The US had recently decided to depute the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to South Korea for a naval exercise in mid-October. The drill is projected as a show of strength to North Korea but it is being held at a time of heightened regional tensions over North Korea and the USS Reagan is part of a Japan-based American strike group and the only forward-deployed aircraft carrier in the region. The deployment of the THAAD missile defence system in South Korea is also a matter of common concern for Russia and China.