China and India,both nations have overlapping claims to parts of the Ladakh region.
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India and China went to war in the Himalayas in 1962. The Ladakh region, nestled between the Karakoram and Zanskar mountain ranges, was at the epicenter of the war, with the majority of the combat taking place at altitudes of more than 3 kilometers above sea level.
Both nations have competing claims to sections of the region, and despite the fact that the allies and weapons at their disposal have changed considerably, one thing remains: battle in the mountains is a difficult business.
One thing is critical in high-altitude warfare: mobility. Roads, resources, specialized soldiers, and a powerful air force to support them are all significant advantages.
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However, India's military is in desperate need of modernization. The country's air force is outdated and severely under-equipped. In a heated confrontation over Kashmir in 2019, Pakistani planes easily shot down an old Indian Mig-21 fighter plane, much to India's shame.
This served as a wake-up call for India's military, which has been updating its air force with aircraft from France, Russia, and the United States. Their traditional reliance on armour and big tanks is no longer effective in the Himalayas, and they have forced to adapt.
Instead, they've started stockpiling resources and men high on the Depsang Plains, which will be the focal point of any future fight.
A massive Indo-Tibetan Border Police force of approximately 89 thousand personnel has been formed, with the majority of them being special forces trained in mountain and cold-weather combat as well as guerrilla operations.
China, on the other hand, enjoys a significant edge. They were able to create metalled roads and heated lodgings thanks to high-speed train lines near to the border, sheltering their troops from the harsh winter cold, which may drop below -30 degrees Celsius.
This infrastructure will make it considerably simpler for them to carry water and food than the Indian troops. China, on the other hand, is severely lacking in experience.
China invaded Vietnam in 1979, retreating three weeks later after suffering tens of thousands of deaths. China has not fought a significant war since then, and its army has minimal fighting experience.
India, on the other hand, has fought four wars since its conflict with China, including the India-Pakistan Kargil War in 1999 and the struggle for the world's highest battleground, the Siachen Glacier. Both of these conflicts provided India with important knowledge into the difficulties of high-altitude combat.
At those altitudes, which are higher than any European mountain peak, the weather quickly becomes the greatest threat. Guns jam quickly, and engines refuse to start. The helicopters can only lift a fraction of their regular weights due to the thin airspace. Soldiers are continually running out of oxygen, and strong winds make hypothermia a serious worry, with resupply aircraft frequently being canceled.
Better cold-weather apparel for soldiers has been purchased, and India has added air-defense missile batteries from Russia and drones from Israel to its arsenal.
These factors, together with realistic preparation and hard-won experience from prior battles, help India level the playing field.
India also benefits from the presence of 21 satellites in orbit, at least half of which are used for image and information collecting. This, together with the images and data that India receives from the US, is critical for obtaining a clear picture of Ladakh's remote and hilly areas.
Both India and China are bolstering their deficiencies in preparation for a battle.
India is re-arming at rapid speed, but it now faces a re-energized China that isn't satisfied with the current quo.
With no apparent strategic winner between the two, a large-scale battle in the region might erupt, perhaps including its neighbors and upsetting the decades-old power balance.
[Disclaimer : This is article is based on Project Force of Al Jazeera ]