Siachen Base Camp: Know about the army’s highest base camp

New Delhi: Protecting every inch of the country’s land is the prime goal of every Indian soldier. Even though the scorching heat of the Thar desert and the bone chilling winter of Siachen glacier seem tiny in front of their determination, dedication and discipline, after all, they are motivated by the motto ‘Service before self’. Far away from their families, soldiers live together in base camps near border areas to keep round-the-clock surveillance on infiltrators.

Among several base camps spread across the nation, Siachen Base Camp has different identity thanks to its geographical location. Nested between mountains, the base camp is located around 200 kilometres from the town of Leh. Reaching the spot takes around six hours drive, navigating through one of the highest vehicle-accessible passes in the world, Khardung La at 17,582 feet to reach the spot covered under the blanket of snow.

Notably, Bana Top at a height of 20,500 feet is considered to be the highest post in the region and requires 80 kilometers and a 20 day trek for troops to reach the post. Home of the 102 Infantry Brigade (Siachen brigade) Situated at the base of the Siachen Glacier in the eastern Karakoram Range of the Himalayas at 12,000 feet above sea level, Siachen Base Camp is the home of the 102 Infantry Brigade, also known as the Siachen Brigade, of the XIV Corps of the Indian Army. The brigade is dedicated to safeguarding the 110-kilometer-long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) with at least 108 forward military outposts and artillery observation posts in the highly sensitive region of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir.

The Siachen Brigade consists of five to eight battalions of Ladakh Scouts, who are the spine of the brigade. Additional support for the brigade is provided by artillery, air defence, engineers, and other logistic units. Siachen Base Cam: The training center to survive in Siachen glacier Serving the northern and middle Siachen sectors, Siachen Base Camp is one of the two bases for the Siachen region.

The other base is located west of Thoise Air Base which serves the southern Siachen sector. The base camp has a military training center named Siachen Battle School, which prepares soldiers to stand against harsh weather conditions. Fresh troops receive pre-induction training, orientation and acclimatisation at this school.

Moreover, it also serves as the launchpad for the deployment of the acclimatised troops who are often deployed on a two to three month service on the forward post. Temperature: The real enemy Neutralising enemies is not a big deal for soldiers, but standing against harsh weather conditions at the base camp is the biggest challenge for brave hearts. Here, the mercury slips down to minus 86 degree Celsius during winters with icy 300 kmph blizzards, a severe snowstorm, lasting for a prolonged period of time.

Here, the day is cool and the night is even cooler, with an average temperature of 25 degree Celsius during the day and minus 55 degree Celsius during the night. With motorable connectivity, the base has memorials for martyrs, medical units, and helipads among others. The 12 Wing of Chandigarh AFSB of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been given the responsibility to provide logistic support to the forward posts and medical evacuation by helicopter from air bases at Leh, Thoise and Srinagar.

Significance of the base While the Pakistan Army holds posts only at the lower heights of the western slopes of the spurs of the Saltoro ridge, India possesses a significant tactical advantage over Pakistan with its majority of control over the higher peaks on the Saltoro Mountain Range in the western Siachen sector. In order to thwart Pakistan’s Operation Ababeel, India launched Operation Meghdoot and captured the territory in 1984. Later in 1987, India launched another operation named Operation Rajiv with the goal of successfully seizing Quaid Post from Pakistan.

Later, the post was renamed Bana Post after Naib Subedar (later Honorary Captain) Bana Singh. .