XVII Corps (India)

XVII Corps
Country  India
Branch  Indian Army
Role Strike Corps
Part of Eastern Command (India)
Garrison/HQ Panagarh
Nickname(s) Brahmastra Corps
Commanders
Current
commander		 Lt Gen P.N Rao VSM,SM[1]
Notable
commanders		 Major General Raymond Joseph Noronha[2]
Indian Army Corps (1947 - Present)
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XVI Corps XXI Corps

XVII Corps of Indian army is the first mountain strike corps of India which has been built as a quick reaction force and as well as counter offensive force against China along LAC . Its headquarters are located at Panagarh in West Bengal.[3]

Republic of India shares a boundary (LAC) of length 4,057 km[4] with Republic of China. Although, even the exchange of a single bullet has not been reported here since decades, the two countries still have not resolved their disagreement about where exactly the border lies; specially over two regions – Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh. Intrusion of troops of PLA into Indian territory,[5] construction of watch tower close to the mutually-accepted "border patrolling line" near Burtse,[6][7] "standardisation" of the names of six towns in Arunachal Pradesh[8] (China claims that Arunachal Pradesh is integral part of china) enhanced the tension.

In addition, China has developed rail network and five fully operational airbases in Tibet Autonomous Region. Key airfields include those at Hoping, Pangta and Kong Ka.[4][9] In Tibet and Yunan, roads are extended over 58,000 km (in 2010)[4] up to the border, at an approximate cost of about $325 billion. As a result of all these buildout of infrastructures, China can mobilize 30 divisions (each with over 15,000 soldiers)[10] aside heading to the LAC within 48 hours. Moreover, about 300,011 PLA troops and six Rapid Reaction Forces are placed at Chengdu.[11]

To reinforce defensive power across the border in Arunachal Pradesh, Indian army raised two new infantry divisions (1,260 officers and 35,000 soldiers) at Likapani[12] and Missamari (Assam)[4] in 2009-2010. However PLA outnumbered Indian army near border by three to one.[13]

To overcome the gap, in July 2013, the cabinet committee, under the UPA government, sanctioned the proposal, which had been already approved by Chiefs of Staff Committee or CoSC, a committee composed of the chiefs of Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, to build the new mountain strike crop over a time span of seven years (12th plan period (2012–17), with a little spillover into the 13th plan if necessary).[14] The cop was planned to be raised to 90, 274 soldiers and thus Rs 64,678 crore had been sanctioned. Out of this budget, around Rs 39,000 crore[13] had been earmarked for capital expenditure. Addition Rs 19,000 crore was also demanded for further development.

From October 2013, army started posting the key officers in Ranchi. On January 1, 2014, Major General Raymond Joseph Noronha, the first commander of 17 Corps,[12] raised the flag of this corps for the first time in Ranchi.[2]

59 Division has already been established, and 72 Division is now in the process of establishment.[15]

References

  1. ↑ https://m.timesofindia.com/india/army-chief-visits-brahmastra-corps-in-panagarh/articleshow/65328486.cms. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. 1 2 Chauhan, R S (3 January 2014). "Finally, an army strike corps aimed at China". Rediff.com. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  3. ↑ "Indian Army Is Fully Ready For A Two-And-A-Half Front War, Says Army Chief General Bipin Rawat". Huffpost. New Delhi. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Pandit, Rajat (8 March 2011). "China has five airbases, extensive rail-road networks in Tibet: Antony". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  5. ↑ WATTS, JAKE MAXWELL (2 May 2013). "Are China and India About to Fight Over Their Border?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Tensions on LAC over Chinese watch tower built near Indian patrol grounds". MAIL TODAY BUREAU-Mail Online. 12 September 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Pandit, Rajat (12 September 2015). "Indian, Chinese troops in another face-off in Ladakh". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  8. ↑ Joshua, Anita (19 April 2017). "How to decipher China's answer". The Telegraph (Calcutta), Guwahati Bureau. Guwahati. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  9. ↑ Girdhar, Manish. "PLAAF Deployments in Tibet". Centre for Land Warfare Studies. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  10. ↑ Pandit, Rajat (9 January 2014). "Army kicks off raising new mountain strike corps against China". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  11. ↑ Sen, Sudhi Ranjan (27 February 2015). "Only 20 Per Cent of India-China Strategic Border Roads Ready Till Now". NDTV. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Indian Army raises new mountain strike corps against China". India TV News Desk. New Delhi. 9 January 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  13. 1 2 Pandit, Rajat (8 March 2011). "Fund crunch hits Army's new strike corps". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  14. ↑ Pandit, Rajat (13 June 2013). "China-wary Army for mountain strike corps". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  15. ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/army-kicks-off-raising-of-2nd-division-under-mountain-strike-corps-plans-exercise-in-ladakh/articleshow/58884540.cms?from=mdr
  • Unnithan, Sandeep (24 February 2016). "The mountain is now a molehill". India Today. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  • Pandit, Rajat (8 May 2014). "Army chief reviews mountain strike corps". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
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