Hmm. The Sino-Indian war dismissed as a minor border skirmish? It only went for a month, but it was in the Himalayas. Also, it only took the Chinese a month to get what they wanted[2].
Not to be outdone by the conventional army, China’s powerful strategic rocket troops, the Second Artillery Force, still uses cavalry units to patrol its sprawling missile bases deep within China’s vast interior.
Is there any evidence apart from some staged pictures of some event that this is actually true?
the Air Force continues to use a 1950s Soviet designed airframe, the Tupolev Tu-16, as a bomber (its original intended mission), a battlefield reconnaissance aircraft, an electronic warfare aircraft, a target spotting aircraft, and an aerial refueling tanker. Likewise, the PLA uses the Soviet designed Antonov An-12 military cargo aircraft for ELINT (electronic intelligence) missions, ASW (anti-submarine warfare) missions, geological survey missions, and airborne early warning missions. It also has an An-12 variant specially modified for transporting livestock, allowing sheep and goats access to remote seasonal pastures.
Interestingly, the C-130 is still in use by US forces for most of the uses listed above. It first flew in 1954[3]. The B-52 remains the primary US bomber. It first flew in 1952[4].
Take the PLA’s lack of combat experience, for example. A few minor border scraps aside, the PLA hasn’t seen real combat since the Korean War. This appears to be a major factor leading it to act so brazenly in the East and South China Seas.
The more aggressive Chinese position in the South China Sea is possibly the most important strategic development in the last 5 years (and of course it has pretty much been ignored by most media). Saying it is caused by PLA leadership while ignoring the HUGE OIL AND GAS RESERVES the area has is a pretty major oversight (One of the Chinese leadership's biggest concerns is how dependant it is on overseas sources of energy, and how easily those sources could be cut off. A source of oil and gas in Chinese controlled waters is something they see as a major goal, and they may well be willing to fight for it).
Well the Sino Indian war is much more a testament to the sheer incompetency and spinelessness of the then prime minister of India. He was caught off guard with the blatant abuse of Indian trust by China. There were no clear directives and because of this reinforcements were too late. The Indian Air Force at that time was vastly superior to what China had but again the fear and incompetence of Nehru got the better of him and the nation.
My point is that war doesn't show a strength of Chinese army as much as it shows the gigantic fail on the Indian side.
India has always felt that they had an understanding with China about the border. However they ignore the fact that China felt threatened by Soviet/Indian friendship.
Often they blame Nehru for being naïve, whilst at the same time blaming China for betrayal. I don't think those two arguments are very compatible.
In the end it was probably beneficial for India. They modernised their army, which let them defeat (Chinese ally) Pakistan pretty comprehensively.
But anyway, the Chinese military was pretty efficient in this war, which goes against the original article.
Every country by default assumes that they have an understanding with neighbours about it's borders. Of Course that doesn't stop anybody from trying to grab a piece.
As far as the two arguments go, I don't see the incompatibility. Can you share your thoughts about this?
Chinese approach was rather brute force, they just poured a lot of soldiers there, far from efficient.
As far as the two arguments go, I don't see the incompatibility. Can you share your thoughts about this?
If it was a "betrayal" then Nehru wasn't naïve (because betrayal implies deliberately misleading). OTOH, if Nehru was naïve, then it wasn't a betrayal (because it was so clear to everyone except Nehru that something was going to happen).
I think the truth is somewhere in between. I haven't studied it the conflict in depth, but it seems to me that China's policy towards the Indian border region changed (at least partially because of Indian actions), and India didn't realize it quickly enough.
Blatant abuse being the hostile behaviour shown by the Chinese just after the "hindi, chini bhai bhai" (Indian and Chinese are brothers.) catch phrase was what every Indian used to say. They attacked India and took away a huge part of Indian land.
This behaviour is typical for PRC. All they seem to want is new territory for themselves. Even now they dispute about Indian territory and frequently undermine borders by intruding.
Yep, and note the careful wording in the original piece: "1950s Soviet designed airframe". Those aren't 50 year old planes either.
Production was performed by the plant at Xian, with at least 150 built into the 1990s. China is estimated to currently operate around 120 of the aircraft. The latest version is the cruise missile-carrying H-6K.[1]
They aren't exactly the most advanced plane in the world, but they don't need to be. It is disingenuous of the author to make it sound like the Chinese are doing anything dramatically different to what other nations do.
Sure, the J variant has upgraded engines and avionics, but the airframe is the same. The article simply says that the PLA uses the "Soviet designed airframe" of the Tu-16 and the "Soviet designed [...] An-12." It states neither that the PLA is using 50 year old airframes, nor that they are using 50 year old avionics.
So the grand-parent's comparison is entirely valid. Both the USAF and PLA use aircraft in primary roles that were designed half a century ago. And, frankly, there isn't anything wrong with that in either case. Physics hasn't changed in 50 years.
yes good point. The Indo-China War of 1962 was rather strategic, then brute.
As someone obliviously said that Indian Air Force was superior, is true partly. But they are forgetting the batter terrain was the himalayas. Unless you are flying over, its suicidal to even fly in Himalayas.
In short, A axe can't do a toothpick's job. Thus, nor Navy/Air Force was deployed.
Also, China/India are both relatively young sovereign nations.. 1962 was barely 10 years into independance for both ravaged nations. Economically/Politically it was a bad choice to continue it.
Not to be outdone by the conventional army, China’s powerful strategic rocket troops, the Second Artillery Force, still uses cavalry units to patrol its sprawling missile bases deep within China’s vast interior.
Is there any evidence apart from some staged pictures of some event that this is actually true?
the Air Force continues to use a 1950s Soviet designed airframe, the Tupolev Tu-16, as a bomber (its original intended mission), a battlefield reconnaissance aircraft, an electronic warfare aircraft, a target spotting aircraft, and an aerial refueling tanker. Likewise, the PLA uses the Soviet designed Antonov An-12 military cargo aircraft for ELINT (electronic intelligence) missions, ASW (anti-submarine warfare) missions, geological survey missions, and airborne early warning missions. It also has an An-12 variant specially modified for transporting livestock, allowing sheep and goats access to remote seasonal pastures.
Interestingly, the C-130 is still in use by US forces for most of the uses listed above. It first flew in 1954[3]. The B-52 remains the primary US bomber. It first flew in 1952[4].
Take the PLA’s lack of combat experience, for example. A few minor border scraps aside, the PLA hasn’t seen real combat since the Korean War. This appears to be a major factor leading it to act so brazenly in the East and South China Seas.
The more aggressive Chinese position in the South China Sea is possibly the most important strategic development in the last 5 years (and of course it has pretty much been ignored by most media). Saying it is caused by PLA leadership while ignoring the HUGE OIL AND GAS RESERVES the area has is a pretty major oversight (One of the Chinese leadership's biggest concerns is how dependant it is on overseas sources of energy, and how easily those sources could be cut off. A source of oil and gas in Chinese controlled waters is something they see as a major goal, and they may well be willing to fight for it).
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_War
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_War#Ceasefire
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_C-130_Hercules
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-52_Stratofortress