1. All the conclusions drawn by ‘Army Direct’ website are wrong : This website has recently concluded that Chinese army is the most powerful in the world. It, says the United States is second, Russia is third and India is fourth. In analysing this, it took into consideration the economic state of each country, the army and the weapons it possessed. However, almost all their conclusions are wrong. The most important thing is, no one can win a war on the basis of a large force or large number of weapons. China had brought 60,000 to 70,000 men with artillery, tanks and missiles to the Galwan Valley. China also had state-of-the-art fighter jets, helicopters and drones here. Despite this, China could not do much and had to return silently.
2. Indian soldiers are brave and patriotic, so they are very mighty : In warfare, soldiers are more important than the weapons. History has proved this as well. The Indian army has a lot of experience in fighting wars. They are fit, brave and patriotic. The Chinese army does not have these qualities.
Leaders at the junior level in the Indian army lead from the front. Therefore, the Indian army excels. Chinese soldiers cannot fight because they live in cities. They are born under China’s ‘One Child’ policy. Since it is mandatory for everyone to join the army, these children join the army only for 2-3 years. Because of this, they do not have the willpower to fight. Their focus is more on things other than the army.
3. The bravery of soldiers is useful to win a war besides modern weapons : The US air force is very advanced. Their pilots have a lot of experience. The United States has been using airpower in Afghanistan for many years; yet it could not win the war. The United States and Russia are both superpowers They tried to fight in Afghanistan, but they were defeated and had to return because the Afghans showed more bravery. The same happened in Vietnam. The United States and France tried to use their power to win, but they could not. This is due to the bravery and leadership of the Vietnamese army. Recently, there was a war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Armenia had state-of-the-art Russian-made weapons; however, Turkey defeated them only with the help of drones. In short, using modern weapons itself is not enough to win a war.
4. The conclusion of ‘Army Direct’ on naval war-fare is also wrong, it is easy for India to defeat China : ‘Army Direct’ website also concluded that China’s naval power is very strong so it can win a war. China has land on three sides, while the sea on one side. About 80 to 90% of their trade runs through the Malacca Strait. It is easy for India to stop their trade here because the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India are only 150 to 200 nautical miles from the Strait. This is why, India can stop them any time during a naval battle. Although China has a state-of-the-art navy, it has no experience fighting at the sea. Even if they have advanced aircraft carriers, they have never been to other places away from the coast. China’s last war was in 1978 against Vietnam. China was defeated. This is why, having a large number of soldiers, modern weapons and a higher army budget is not enough to win a war at all. Brave and patriotic soldiers along with weapons are required to win a war. Besides, they should have good leadership at the junior as well as senior levels. Only when all these are in place, it is possible to win a war. Hence, the conclusion of this website is completely wrong. It is proven recently that the Indian army can protect the country against China.
5. If soldiers have good leadership, any war can be won : In 1967, China tried to infiltrate the Nathu La (Pass) of India. At that time, India’s General Sagat Singh successfully retaliated against China with an aggressive attack which killed 350 to 400 Chinese soldiers. China had also tried to invade Arunachal Pradesh’s Sumadorang Chu. At that time, China had to face India’s General Sundarji, who took aggressive action and forced them to return. The same happened in Doklam and the same is happening in Ladakh; hence, it is not just numbers but soldiers and leadership that are crucial to win a war.
– (Retd.) Brigadier Hemant Mahajan, Pune.