Thread by @Ak5985965

Command failures during #KargilWar - Thread

1. Intelligence - There was some intelligence about unusual and significant build up by Pak given by IB, R&AW. But it did not say that heights, posts vacated by us would be occupied. Such INT is very hard to get because you need

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a source at the heart of the enemy military leadership

Could the Army have put the INT pieces together and read enemy intentions ? Yes, some did that but senior cdrs did not heed them. Ml warned in Aug '98 that 500 Afghans had been concentrated to Gurikot NJ7959 for ingress

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Brig Surinder Singh Cdr 121 INF Bde had given warnings on how intrusions could happen and how NH1A could be interdicted. GOC 3 Div Maj Gen VS Budhwar had been warned of weaknesses in Kargil defences but he ignored these warnings. Famously, he had ordered units to procure wild

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animals for a zoo !

FAILING - SENOR CDRS INCL COAS FAILED TO READ ENEMY INTENTIONS

2. First reports of intrusions - When the intrusions were first reported on 3rd May, their importance was not understood by GOC 3 Div/15 Corps, GOCnC NC and AHQ

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Famously the army chief proceeded to Poland on 9th May on official work, took a short holiday and came back only on the 20th. A lot had happened by then -Lt Suarbh Kalia's patrol went missing on the 5th of May and army had started troop movement from valley to Kargil

But

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even then Cdrs had not grasped the enormity of the situation. Or if they had they tried to brush it under the carpet lest uncomfortable questions were asked by political leadership

So they sent in suicidal attacks. Cdr 121 Bde Brig Surinder Singh said ''there are just a few

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bring them down by the scruff of their necks''

We should have concentrated troops, built up arty, launched deliberate operations. But for that Cdrs would have to tell political leadership the truth

FAILING - CDRS TRIED TO HIDE FACTS AND SENT TROOPS ON SUICIDAL ASSAULTS

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These failings cost us a lot of lives that needn't have been lost

It was only after the political leadership was told the full truth and time was taken to concentrate troops, build up arty and do deliberate operations that the tide turned

3. Witch hunts - After the war

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witch hunts were launched against some officers including a Major who reported intrusion. But the guilty are GOC 3 Div Maj Gen VS Budhwar and GOC 15 Corps Lt Gen Krishan Pal

Gen Pal self evaluated himself saying he had shown ''an example of Generalship unparalleled in the

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history of warfare''

Instead of holding him accountable for gross failure he was elevated to QMG, a PSO (Principal Staff Officer) posting

FAILING - FAILURE OF MORAL FIBRE. THOSE WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE WERE NOT AND JUNIORS WERE SCAPEGOATED

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@HariRam42245512 @Brahamvakya

@mickeymilind