Siachen Base Camp, 12,000 feet above sea level at Partapur, is a
base camp
Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, an ...
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 ...
of
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
The Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) divides current positions of Indian and Pakistani military posts and troops across the entire long front line in the disputed region of Siachen Glacier. AGPL generally runs along the Saltoro Mountains ra ...
(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 ...
in
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 ...
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 ...
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
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 ...
(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
, other_name = Indira Col West, Main Indira Col
, photo =
, photo_caption =
, elevation_m = 5764
, elevation_ref =
, traversed =
, location = On the border between Chinese-controlled Trans-Karakoram Tract and Indian-controlled Siachen G ...
(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 Unio ...
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
blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling ...
s.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 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 (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 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 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 (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 B ...
and 20
Vir Chakra
Vir Chakra (pronunciation: ʋ iː ɾ a tʃ a kɾa) is an Indian wartime military bravery award presented for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy on the battlefield and is third in precedence in wartime gallantry awards a ...
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
The Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthumously ...
,
Sena Medal
The Sena Medal is awarded to members of the Indian army, of all ranks, "for such individual acts of exceptional devotion to duty or courage as have special significance for the Army." Awards may be made posthumously and a bar is authorized for s ...
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 nu ...
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
Operation Meghdoot ( "Operation Cloud Messenger" after a famous Sanskrit poem by Kalidasa) was the codename for the Indian Armed Forces' operation to seize control of the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir, precipitating the Siachen conflict. E ...
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
, colors = Maroon, sky blue
, colors_label = Colours
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, equipment =
, ...
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
Nubra, also called Dumra, is a historical region of Ladakh, India that is currently administered as a subdivision and a tehsil in the Leh district. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan name ...
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
Turtuk ཏུར་ཏུཀ་ is a village and the headquarters of an eponymous community development block in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is a small village sandwiched between Karakorum Range and Himalayas. and one of the north ...
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
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the
Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decem ...
. 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.
Bharati (research station)
Bharati is a permanent Antarctic research station commissioned by India. It is India's third Antarctic research facility and one of two active Indian research stations, alongside Maitri. India's first committed research facility, Dakshin Gangot ...
* Dakshin Gangotri First Indian station 1983, converted to support base
* Maitri Second Indian station 1989
*
Defence Research and Development Organisation
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, ...
*
Defence Institute of High Altitude Research
The Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) is a defence laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) located in Leh city of Ladakh in India. It conducts research on cold arid agro-animal technologies.
Hi ...
*
Indian Astronomical Observatory
The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) is a high-altitude astronomy station located in Hanle, India and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. Situated in the Western Himalayas at an elevation of 4,500 meters (14,764 ft), th ...
List of Antarctic field camps
Many Antarctic research stations support satellite field camps which are, in general, seasonal camps. The type of field camp can vary – some are permanent structures used during the annual Antarctic summer, whereas others are little more than te ...
*
List of highest astronomical observatories
This is a list of the highest astronomical observatories in the world, considering only ground-based observatories and ordered by elevation above mean sea level. The main list includes only permanent observatories with facilities constructed at ...
;Near the AGPL (Actual Ground Position Line)
*
NJ9842
NJ9842, also called NJ 980420 (in full: NJ 38 98000, 13 42000, yard based Indian Grid Coordinates), is the northernmost demarcated point of the India-Pakistan cease fire line in Kashmir known as the Line of Control (LoC). The India–Pakistan ...
(peak) LoC ends and AGPL begins here
*
Gharkun
Gharkun (also known as Charkun) is a mountain peak located at above sea level in the west of the Saltoro Mountains, part of Karakorum Range.
Location
The peak is located north west of La Yongma Ri and south-east of Dansam. The prominenc ...
(peak)
*
Gyong Kangri
Gyong Kangri is a mountain peak located at above sea level, near the north end of the Saltoro Mountains, a subrange of the Karakoram range.
Location
Peak's west flank is drained by the Gyong Glacier, while the east flank lies in the Nubra r ...
(peak)
*
Gyong La
Gyong La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge southwest of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ9842 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan. With Pakistan controlling areas ...
(pass)
*
Goma (Siachen)
Goma is the capital of North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the Albertine Rift, the wester ...
Chumik Kangri
Chumik Kangri (also known as Chumik Point 22158) is a mountain peak located at above sea level in the west of the Chumik Glacier.
Location
Chumik Kangri is a key peak overlooking the Chumik Glacier and Gyong La Pass, part of Pakistan's Gi ...
(peak)a
*
K12 (mountain)
K12 is the second highest peak in the Saltoro Mountains, a subrange of the Karakoram range in the Siachen region of Ladakh. Its name comes from its designation given during the original survey of the Karakoram range. In 1984, an Indian army exp ...
(peak)
*
Bana Top
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 ...
Saltoro Valley
Saltoro valley is Pakistan's highest valley. It is part of Baltistan, and is held by Pakistan. Along with Saltoro Kangri peak and the Saltoro River, it is near the Saltoro Mountain Range. It lies near world's highest battleground Siachen, a ...
*
Ghent Kangri
Ghent Kangri (or Mount Ghent, Ghaint I) is a high peak near the north end of the Saltoro Mountains, a subrange of the Karakoram range. It is located west of the Siachen Glacier near the Actual Ground Position Line between India and Pakistan.
...
*
Sia La
Sia La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, in Ladakh, India, some north-northwest of map point NJ9842 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan as part of the Simla Agreement. Sia La sits near t ...
*
Sia Kangri
Sia Kangri (7,422 m, 24,350 ft) is a mountain in the Baltoro Muztagh in the Karakoram. Its summit lies on the border of Pakistan and China. About a kilometer southeast of the Sia Kangri summit is the tri point where territories controlled ...
*
Indira Col
, other_name = Indira Col West, Main Indira Col
, photo =
, photo_caption =
, elevation_m = 5764
, elevation_ref =
, traversed =
, location = On the border between Chinese-controlled Trans-Karakoram Tract and Indian-controlled Siachen G ...
; Borders
*
Actual Ground Position Line
The Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) divides current positions of Indian and Pakistani military posts and troops across the entire long front line in the disputed region of Siachen Glacier. AGPL generally runs along the Saltoro Mountains ra ...
Line of Actual Control
The Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the context of the Sino-Indian border dispute, is a notional demarcation lineAnanth KrishnanLine of Actual Control , India-China: the line of actual contest, 13 June 2020: "In contrast, the alignment of ...
(LAC)
*
Sir Creek
Sir Creek ( ), originally Ban Ganga, is a 96-km (60-mi) tidal estuary in the uninhabited marshlands of the Indus River Delta on the border between India and Pakistan. The creek flows into the Arabian Sea and separates Gujarat state in India fro ...
(SC)
*
Borders of China
China shares international land borders with 14 sovereign states. In addition, there is a internal border with the special administrative region of Hong Kong, which was a British dependency before 1997, and a internal border with Macau, a Port ...
*
Borders of India
The Republic of India shares borders with several sovereign countries; it shares land borders with China, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Bangladesh and Pakistan share both land borders as well as maritime borders, while Sri Lan ...
; Conflicts
*
Kashmir conflict
The Kashmir conflict is a territorial conflict over the Kashmir region, primarily between India and Pakistan, with China playing a third-party role. The conflict started after the partition of India in 1947 as both India and Pakistan claimed ...
*
Siachen conflict
The Siachen conflict, sometimes referred to as the Siachen Glacier conflict or the Siachen War, was a military conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir. The conflict was started in 1984 by India' ...
List of disputed territories of India
There are several disputed territories of India. A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession or control of land between two or more states or over the possession or control of land by a new state and occupying power after it has co ...
Northern Areas
Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute bet ...
*
Trans-Karakoram Tract
The Trans-Karakoram Tract (), also known as the Shaksgam Tract ( ur, , translit=Shaksgām), is an area of approximately north of the Karakoram watershed, including the Shaksgam valley. The tract is administered by China as part of its Taxkorg ...
; Operations
*
Operation Meghdoot
Operation Meghdoot ( "Operation Cloud Messenger" after a famous Sanskrit poem by Kalidasa) was the codename for the Indian Armed Forces' operation to seize control of the Siachen Glacier in Kashmir, precipitating the Siachen conflict. E ...
, by India
*
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 ...
, by India
*
Operation Safed Sagar
Operation Safed Sagar ( hi, ऑपरेशन सफेद सागर, lit. "Operation White Ocean") was the code name assigned to the Indian Air Force's role in acting jointly with the Indian Army during the 1999 Kargil war that was aim ...
Bana Singh
Captain Bana Singh (born 6 January 1949) is an Indian soldier and a recipient of the nation's highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra. As a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army, he led the team that wrested control of the highest peak on th ...
, after whom Quaid Post was renamed to Bana Top
*
Dafdar
Dafdar or Davdar or Daftar or via Mandarin Chinese as Dabuda'er, United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (), is a township in the Taghdumbash Pamir located in Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghu ...
List of extreme points of India
The extreme points of India include the coordinates that are further north, south, east or west than any other location in India; and the highest and the lowest altitudes in the country. The northernmost point claimed by India is in territory disp ...
*
Sino-Pakistan Agreement
The Sino-Pakistan Agreement is a 1963 document between the governments of Pakistan and People's Republic of China, China establishing the border between those countries in the disputed Kashmir region.
It resulted in both countries ceding ove ...
for transfer of Trans-Karakoram Tract to China
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 basesSiachen conflict
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