(TibetanReview.net, Nov13’26) – Even as they continue to improve bilateral ties in a host of areas after the serious mid-2020 Galwan Valley clash-led freeze, India and China are continuing to strengthen their border readiness for conflict. India’s latest reported move involves the launch of a body of commando-trained defensive police units to patrol the border with Chinese occupied Tibet.
China’s military advantage along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh lies not just in troops deployed close to the border but in its ability to rapidly reinforce them, sustain operations and exploit infrastructure spread across the Tibetan plateau, said an indiatoday.in report Nov 8.
It said the Chinese army had built a layered architecture that lets Beijing maintain pressure on India, probe its defences and test the limits of existing border mechanisms.
The emerging military equation along the eastern LAC will increasingly be shaped by how effectively both sides can mobilise, sustain and deploy combat power in one of the world’s most challenging operational environments, the report said, referring to the Arunachal border area.
One of the latest Indian moves to strengthen its border security is its reported formation of specialised police commando units to patrol its disputed border with Tibet in a bid to claw back its lost tactical edge, as reported by scmp.com Nov 11.
Indian media reports said the units, known as Shaurya platoons, will form part of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police force that patrols the 3,000km (1,865-mile) frontier with Chinese occupied Tibet.
While few details of the new force’s deployments or the precise nature of its operations have been disclosed, the platoons have reportedly been given specialised training in close combat, high-altitude operations, drone surveillance and rapid responses.
The report cited Lin Minwang, professor and vice-dean at the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, as saying the new units reflected the lingering trust deficit between the two sides along the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border.
“It means that the volatile situation along the border is likely to continue for a long time,” he has said.
Citing Nikkei Asia Nov 9, the report cited analysts as suggesting the new commando units were created after the Galwan Valley clash forced India to reassess its combat readiness along the frontier.
It cited Anushka Saxena, a researcher at the Takshashila Institution, as saying the need for the dedicated units arose partly because commando-trained border police were also used for other tasks, including VIP security, embassy protection and counter-insurgency operations.
“The Shaurya commandos are primarily intended to operate defensively, whereas Ghatak platoons [specialised army assault units] are trained and oriented towards offensive operations,” Saxena has explained.
While the exact size of the new units is not known, Saxena has said if each of the border police units deployed along the border hosted a Shaurya team, the specialised force could eventually reach a strength of between 800 and 1,200 personnel.
The report cited Lin as saying India had previously held a significant troop advantage over China, but this edge had eroded since Beijing strengthened its frontline presence and logistics following the Galwan Valley clash. To him, the new units were a clear attempt by Delhi to regain its tactical edge along the border.
He has said China would undoubtedly respond to the deployment of the new units, but added it was more likely to do so “through civilian measures – especially infrastructure – to improve mobility and enhance force projection, rather than matching India by increasing troop numbers or deploying specialised units”.
The report noted that in recent years, China had carried out a series of massive infrastructure projects on the Tibetan side of the LAC, including road, rail and air links.
Beijing has also been working to develop border villages in the Tibet autonomous region as part of its broader rural revitalisation strategy. The programme, which got under way in 2019, aims to alleviate poverty and safeguard frontier territories, as well as plug gaps in infrastructure and public services, the report said.
At least some facilities within these border villages have reportedly been assessed as having potential military or paramilitary uses.
India too has been upgrading its border infrastructure, including expanding and upgrading its road networks.