Siachen Base Camp, 12,000 feet above sea level at Partapur, is a base camp of 102 Infantry Brigade (Siachen brigade) of

XIV Corps 14 Corps, 14th Corps, Fourteenth Corps, or XIV Corps may refer to: * XIV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XIV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World ...

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

which protects 110 km long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) with at least 108 forward military outposts and artillery observation posts in the disputed region of

Siachen Glacier The Siachen Glacier is a glacier located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayas at about , just northeast of the point NJ9842 where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends. At long, it is the longest glacier in the Kar ...

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...

Union Territory of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. It is approximately 6 hours drive north from the town of

Leh Leh () ( lbj, ) is the joint capital and largest city of Ladakh, a union territory of India. Leh, located in the Leh district, was also the historical capital of the Kingdom of Ladakh, the seat of which was in the Leh Palace, the former res ...

via one of the highest vehicle-accessible passes in the world,

Khardung La Khardung La () or Khardung Pass is a mountain pass in the Leh district of the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The pass is on the Ladakh Range, north of Leh, and connects the Indus river valley and the Shyok river valley. It also forms the ...

at 17,582 feet. Bana Top (20,500 ft) is the highest post in the region, an 80 km and 20 day trek for troops. Pahalwan Post (about 20,000 ft) and posts near Indira Col (about 19,000 ft) are other high posts. Kumar Post or Kumar Base, which serves as the battalion head quarter, is named after the Colonel Narendra "Bull" Kumar and it is 60 km from the Siachen base towards Indira Col. The Siachen brigade consists of five to eight battalions of

Ladakh Scouts The Ladakh Scouts is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, nicknamed the "Snow Warriors" or "Snow Leopards". The regiment specialises in mountain warfare, and its primary role is to guard India's borders in the high altitudes of the Union ...

supported by artillery, air defence, engineer and other logistic units. Pakistan has not been able to scale the crest of the Saltoro Range occupied by India. The temperature goes down to minus 86°C during winters with icy 300 kmph blizzards.Haryanvi Meghdoot who defended the most challenging post in Siachen
The Tribune, 9 Nov 2019. The average temperature is between minus 25°C during day and minus 55°C during the night.Everyday is a story: Army officers recall their time at Siachen Glacier
Indian Express, 14 Feb 2016. Siachen Base Camp, which serves the northern and middle sectors Siachen sectors, is one of the 2 bases for the Siachen region, and other base being just ahead of

Thoise Thoise or Thoise Airbase is a military airfield and small village in Nubra region of Ladakh, India, occupying the only large piece of flat land in the area. The airstrip is a critical facility enabling a quick inflow of men and material from the ...

which serves the southern Siachen sector. Siachen Base Camp has Siachen Battle School for pre-induction training, orientation and acclimatisation for fresh troops and it is also a launchpad for deployment of the acclimatisation troops who are usually deployed on a 2 to 3 month stint on the forward post. The base has helipads, a memorial for martyrs, medical unit etc and it is connected by a motorable road. 12 Wing of Chandigarh AFSB of

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

(IAF) provides helicopter support to the forward posts for the logistics supplies and casualty evacuation by helicopter from the from Leh, Thoise and Srinagar, which in turn are supplied by the large transport planes such as C-17 and C-130.30 years of the world’s coldest war
The Tribune, 13 April 1984. Each post has an artillery officer who are deployed in the rotation of 45 days. India has significant tactical advantage as it occupies most of the higher peaks on the Saltoro Mountain Range in the western sector of Siachen and

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

hold posts only at lower heights of western slopes of the spurs of the Saltoro ridge. For the military operation, to ferry two people and their supplies, a minimum of 2–4 helicopter trips were required. Each helicopter trip cost 35,000. For example, it took 20 days and 200 helicopter trips for the assault team to gather at

Bilafond La Bilafond La (meaning "Pass of the Butterflies" in Balti language, also known as the Saltoro Pass, is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, sitting immediately west of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ 980420 wh ...

for the

Operation Rajiv Operation Rajiv was the codename for an Indian Army operation that aimed to capture a high point along the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) on the Siachen Glacier in June 1987. Prior to this operation, the area had been under the control of P ...

in 1987. For every soldier on the combat post, 20 soldiers are needed at the base for replacement training, logistics and support.Siachen Glacier: Battling on the roof of the world
Indian Defence Review, 18 Dec 2018. Until 2013, 26 decorations have been awarded to the Indian soldiers in this sectors, including 1

Paramvir Chakra The Param Vir Chakra (PVC) is India's highest military decoration, awarded for displaying distinguished acts of valour during wartime. Param Vir Chakra translates as the "Wheel of the Ultimate Brave", and the award is granted for "most conspicu ...

(PVC), 5

Mahavir Chakra The Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) () is the second highest military decoration in India, after the Param Vir Chakra, and is awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy, whether on land, at sea or in the air. It replaced the Br ...

and 20 Vir Chakra to 11 officers and 15 OR of which 9 are posthumous. Additionally, many more

Kirti Chakra The Kirti Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the ''pe ...

, Shaurya Chakra, Sena Medal and

Vayu Sena Medal The Vayu Sena Medal is a military decoration, usually awarded in peacetime for a job well done in the Indian Air Force. However, it has been granted during times of conflict for acts of gallantry in the face of enemy, though not in the same numb ...

have been awarded in this sectors.

History

Colonel Narendra Bull Kumar took expeditions to the Siachen area in 1978, 1982, 1983 and 1984 to scale Sia Kangri (24,350 feet) and Indira Col and Saltoro Kangri I (25,400 feet), and skied to Bilafond La, Sia La and Turkistan La. This area was captured by India in 1984 in Operation Meghdoot to preempt Pakistan's Operation Ababeel. In 1987, Operation Rajiv was to launched to successfully capture Quaid Post from Pakistan which was renamed to Bana Post by India. The Quaid Post was manned by soldiers of the Shaheen Company (3rd commando battalion), a part of Pakistan's Special Services Group. It was commanded by

Subedar Subedar is a rank of junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army; a senior non-commissioned officer in the Pakistan Army, and formerly a Viceroy's commissioned officer in the British Indian Army. History ''Subedar'' or ''subadar'' was the ...

Ataullah Mohammed.

Tourism

India allows several tourist and civilian activities in Siachen area. To exploit the potential for tourism, the government is making ongoing efforts to improve connectivity.Siachen, world's highest battlefield, now open for tourists
Economic Times, 21 Oct 2019. There is a recurring planned annual civilian expedition from Siachen Base Camp to Indira Ridge, Indira Col and other features. India has opened up the entire area from ''Siachen Base Camp'' at 12,000 ft to Kumar Post at 15,000 ft for the regular tourism for the civilians. Bana Post at 20,500 ft will remain off limit to tourists. Temperatures drop to below minus 60 degrees celsius during the winter. Until 2010, civilian tourists were permitted only in the Nubra Valley up to

Panamik Panamic or Panamik is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh in India. It is located in the Nubra tehsil. Hot sulphur springs are found in the village. Panamik is a contraction of སྤང་ན་ཆུ་མིག་ 'Spang na Chumik', ...

. Since 2010 tourist have been permitted in the Shyok Valley up to Turtuk and beyond to

Tyakshi Takshi, also known as Tyakshi or Taqsi, is a remote village in Nubra valley,located on the banks of the Shayok River in the Leh district of UT Ladakh, India. It lies in the historical Chorbat Valley of the Baltistan region, which was divided bet ...

near the LOC and further to Thang; these three villages and Chulunkha were captured from Pakistan by India in Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. From 2019, medically fit civilians below the age of 45 are allowed up to Kumar Base (15,000 ft) on a 30-day trek organised by Army Adventure Cell in August–September, during which tourists go through the highly altitude conditioning at Leh Base, Siachen Base and forward staging posts, at the end of which they undertake an extreme adventure 9-day return track from Siachen Base to Kumar Base 60 km away.Siachen Glacier open to tourists! Everything you must know before visiting world’s highest battlefield
Financial Express, 26 October 2019.

References

External links

* http://realitycheck.wordpress.com/2007/07/30/media-whining-will-demoralize-our-forces/ * http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/us-army-chief-to-visit-siachen-base-camp_100107682.html * http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Galleries/main.php?g2_itemId=1272 * https://web.archive.org/web/20111008183632/http://www.siachenglacier.com/ * http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/document/papers/pm_June05.htm * http://www.indianexpress.com/news/at-siachen-casualties-come-to-all-time-low/371756/ * http://www.team-avalanche.com/forum/index.php?topic=36.0 Indian Army bases Siachen conflict {{India-mil-stub

History

Tourism

See also

References

External links