Kargil order of battle

The Kargil War order of battle (KWORBAT), is a deposition and systematic combatant structure of the Indian Army troops and the unified Pakistan Armed Forces combat commands, active in the Kargil region in 1999, during the Kargil War. The Indian Army orbat is based on the publications provided by the Indian military authors, news media and official sources.

US Navy map of Kargil, 2008.

The Pakistan orbat is based on the intelligence information provided by the Pakistani media (both electronic and print media), military authors, and Pakistani documentaries made after the 1999 conflict. The Pakistan orbat does not include the separatist fighters who, claimed by India, were also involved in fighting atop the peaks of Kargil.

India

Indian Army infantry battalions were often transferred between brigade commands during the war, so sometimes appear under multiple brigades.

Indian Army

Northern Command

3rd Infantry Division

Kargil Theatre Artillery
These units took part in the war serving under various formations:

  • 4 Field Regiment (now 4 Medium Regiment) (Self Propelled) (South Indian Classes)
  • 15 Field Regiment (now 15 Medium Regiment) (Dogras)
  • 41 Field Regiment (now 41 Medium Regiment)
  • 108 Medium Regiment (now 108 Field Regiment)
  • 139 Medium Regiment
  • 141 Field Regiment (now 141 Medium Regiment)
  • 153 Medium Regiment (Self Propelled)
  • 158 Medium Regiment (Self Propelled)
  • 197 Field Regiment (now 197 Medium Regiment)
  • 212 Rocket Regiment
  • 244 Heavy Mortar Regiment (now 244 Field Regiment)
  • 253 Medium Regiment
  • 255 Field Regiment (now 255 Medium Regiment)
  • 286 Medium Regiment (now 286 Field Regiment)
  • 305 Medium Regiment (now 305 Field Regiment)
  • 307 Medium Regiment
  • 315 Field Regiment
  • 1861 Light Regiment
  • 1889 Light Regiment (now 1889 Missile Regiment) Brahmos

Other battalions[1]

Indian Air Force

Apart from the involvement of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force (IAF) also participated in the Kargil War as part of Operation Safed Sagar.

Pakistan

Initially, the Kargil order of battle was planned by the Directorate-General for Military Operations (DGMO), Brig. Gen. Nadeem Ahmed. However, after the IAF strike and Indian advancement in the region, the Pakistan Air Force and the Navy deployed and issued orders to their combat forces. Their missions were to conduct surveillance and air patrolling; no other combat units of PAF and Navy participated in the combat. The inter-services order of battle is mentioned in the table. According to the Pakistan news channels reports and military declassified information, the Kargil infiltration was comprehensively planned by the joint officers at the Joint staff Headquarters, a joint office secretariat which then-served under Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

From the start of the conflict, there were numerous inter-services meetings coordinated by the chairman joint chiefs, to Prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The controversy still surrounds in the military science circle of the Pakistan armed forces, with chief of naval staff and chief of air staff including key theatre commanders of army combatant corps, bringing up the accusations that the Kargil front was launched without their knowledge or confidence.

Pakistan Army
  • 5th Battalion, Northern Light Infantry
  • 6th Battalion, Northern Light Infantry
  • 12th Battalion, Northern Light Infantry[2]
  • 13th Battalion, Northern Light Infantry
  • 24th Battalion, Sind Regiment[3]
  • 27th Battalion, Sind Regiment

Pakistan Air Force
  • Note: No PAF F-16s took active participation in the conflict. All PAF missions were to conduct combat air patrols in the area.
    • No. 38 Multirole Group
    • No. 9 Squadron Griffins and No. 11 Squadron Arrows.
        • The F-16s belonging to Griffins Arrows were deployed in the region.[4] No F-16s took active participation in the conflict.[5]

Pakistan Navy
  • Note: No Navy units took active participation. The Navy was on high-alert but strictly ordered by Admiral Bokhari not to escalate the crises into sea. Although, Navy had its own significance in the Kargil theatre, but no crucial operations and efforts were applied or undertaken by Navy to support the army. According to the chief of naval staff, General Pervez Musharraf, as chairman joint chiefs, had failed to take navy into confidence prior to the start of the conflict.
    • Pakistan Navy Commander Karachi[6]
    • Pakistan Naval Air Arm
      • The Pakistan Navy, in a defensive mood, directed all its units to keep clear of Indian naval ships. As the exercise shifted closer to the Makaran Coast, Pakistan moved all its major combatants out of Karachi. The Navy remained on high-alert, although orders were not to escalate the crises to sea. The Navy launched surveillance operations; Karachi port remained on high-alert.[7]

References
  1. This list is compiled from newspaper and casualty reports.
  2. Nishan i Haider
  3. In the FCNA region from October 1998 onwards
  4. Lieven Dewitte. "PAF F-16s deployed in Skardu". July 3, 1999. General F-16 News. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  5. "Kargil Conflict and Pakistan Air Force". PAF operations. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  6. "Navy in Kargil war". GLobal war. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  7. Hiranandani, G.M. (2009). Transition to guardianship : the Indian navy 1991–2000. New Delhi: Published by Principal Director of Administration, Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy) [in association with] Lancer Publishers. ISBN 1-935501-26-7.

27 Sind

Sources
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