Chapter 13: Indra's Thunder (Three)

  Three

  In a remote forward airfield in Siliguri city, far from prying eyes, the Indian government finally got the last green light it had been waiting for - the Chinese government has conveyed through secret diplomatic channels to India that:

  China will maintain its neutrality in the impending military action by India in the Sunda Islands and Malacca Strait, but at the same time hopes that the Indian government will limit the scope of its military actions to guarantee the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Lanfang, a federation supported by China.

  Without a doubt, China has made unavoidable concessions in this struggle for control of the Malacca Strait region. India can finally let loose now.

  "This military operation has been named 'Indra's Thunder'. I believe all of you can understand the hopes that the government has placed in us from this name." The tone of Indian Defense Minister General Raina was completely passionate and stirring.

  "We will completely destroy the military power of ASEAN within 6-9 weeks. We will fully seize control of the Malacca Strait, and in this process, your names will be known throughout the world, our warriors will wash their boots in the Gulf of Thailand. India's dignity does not allow anyone to question it. Remember that we will be the unquestionable masters of the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia. Of course, before we embark on this journey, we will also pay attention to the reactions of those old neighbors."

  India's geographical location and its long-standing foreign policy have placed it in an awkward position of being almost surrounded on three sides. Pakistan to the west, Myanmar to the east, and a powerful China from the north are all issues that India cannot avoid. As it concentrates its powerful naval and air forces towards expansion in the southeast direction, India's western and northern military zones will not be able to slacken off even slightly; instead, they need to mobilize more land-based troops to fill the gap left by the navy and air force.

  Three corps under the Western Command of the Army: The 10th and 11th Corps deployed in Punjab and the 12th Corps in Rajasthan will remain on high alert during the war, while the 6th Corps under the original Southern Command will also be dispatched to the Tiwana Peninsula for defense. In addition, various paramilitary forces stationed in different parts of India and belonging to different departments will be fully mobilized as auxiliary forces assigned to regular troops to perform combat tasks. Especially the 4 million state armed police responsible for maintaining law and order in their respective states will also be on high alert and ready to be dispatched to other states if necessary.

  "The excessive caution of the government at the beginning of the war almost unnecessarily consumed our country's originally large ground forces, and in subsequent wars it was proven time and again to be an absolutely fatal mistake."

  Prakash wrote in his 2007 book "IPKF: The Indian Army's Experience in Sri Lanka": India had no option but to deploy its army in large numbers for internal security and border defence, given the pressure from arch-rival Pakistan and Islamic militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

  "Finally, it's time to take action." As the elite 57th Mountain Division of the Indian Army, after the outbreak of war, will be mainly responsible for the attack on the left flank of the battlefield. The troops will cross the 3381-meter-high Lesel mountain at the fastest speed along the coastline and advance southeast, occupying the strategically important port city of Padang on Sumatra Island, receiving supplies there, then turning east to capture Labuhanbatu and Belawan, cutting off the supply lines and rear routes of the ASEAN army, surrounding the tens of thousands of elite troops deployed by ASEAN in Sumatra between the Gambir River and the Kuantan River in the swamp area.

  After the ASEAN forces lost their combat effectiveness in the Sumatra region, if ASEAN still refused to stop fighting, the 57th Mountain Division would likely cross the Malacca Strait and launch an amphibious attack on mainland Singapore. This unprecedented grand strategic plan was originally used by the Indian Army General Staff to contend with the powerful Chinese army for Sumatra, but at this time, facing only the ASEAN forces, the Indian Army still insisted on adopting the original strategic plan, which seemed somewhat showy.

  But all this was not important to Captain Anseri of the 77th Airborne Cavalry Regiment, whose troops would be moving in advanced armed helicopters. He was only concerned with getting out of crowded Bangui as soon as possible and away from the over a thousand foul-smelling mules that had been provided to ensure that the army could still carry out combat operations on dirt roads or without roads at all.

  To the north of 57 Mountain Division, the task of Indian 9th Mechanized Infantry Division and 93 Armoured Brigade equipped with over 300 T-72M main battle tanks and nearly 500 various armoured vehicles was much simpler. They would advance along the railway line from Banyacy to Bayiabi after the outbreak of fighting, reaching the Rogan River Valley - Indian troops predicted that the ASEAN army's main force would hold out there, and the Indian Army would bite them until the 57 Mountain Division's pincer movement succeeded.

  The war unfolded strictly according to the script of New Delhi: On December 4, 2007, a 10,000-ton cargo ship "Yastral" belonging to an Indian state-owned shipping company suddenly exploded and caught fire in the Malacca Strait, 65 nautical miles off Port Klang, Malaysia, and sank quickly. Of the 75 sailors on board, only 8 were rescued.

  The Indian government reacted swiftly, announcing that INS Jalashwa was sunk by "multiple torpedoes fired from an unidentified submarine". Two Indian Talwar-class frigates rushed into Malaysian waters in the area of the incident to conduct a "search". The INS Vikramaditya carrier battle group also entered the nearby waters off Malaysia and launched multiple batches of carrier-based aircraft that repeatedly invaded Malaysian airspace. However, the Malaysian government largely exercised restraint on that day, and the conflict between the two sides did not escalate.

  Two days later, on December 6, the Indian government made a request to Malaysia and Singapore: asking the two countries to open up multiple military ports such as Penang, Port Klang and Changi, so that Indian naval vessels could escort their own ships through the Strait of Malacca. This unreasonable demand was flatly rejected by both governments.

  Two days later, on December 8, an Indian convoy carrying humanitarian aid was ambushed by unidentified armed men in the Mirawas area of Sumatra, killing 25 Indian soldiers and injuring over 50 others. The Indian government put all its troops in Sumatra on high alert.

  On that day, a Thai LADYA-class minesweeper was patrolling off the coast of Ran Sha when it came under fire from an Indian Navy Sea King helicopter. Within minutes, two MiG-29K fighter jets took off from the INS Vikramaditya and quickly sank the Thai minesweeper, in what became known as the "Ran Sha Incident". The Royal Thai Air Force scrambled five F-16A fighters to the area, shooting down one Indian aircraft. Two hours after the incident, India declared a state of war with Thailand.

  The Indian elephant, which had been accumulating strength for a long time, finally launched a charge.