Chinese soldiers in eastern Ladakh provided high-tech gear to manage heavy winter: military

Beijing, Oct 29: Thousands of Chinese military personnel deployed at the India-China border in eastern Ladakh have been provided with high-tech equipment to manage the heavy winter, the Chinese Defence Ministry said on Thursday.

At an online briefing of the Chinese Defence Ministry here, spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Quan said that in terms of accommodation, the troops were provided with a new dismountable self-energised insulated cabin, which can be built by service members themselves.

In areas where the outdoor temperature is -40 degrees centigrade with an elevation of above 5,000m, the indoor temperature can be kept at higher than 15 degrees centigrade, he said while replying to a question.

The newly-developed outfits, such as the new individual sleeping bags, down training coats and cold-proof boots, are characterised by cold prevention and heat retention, portability and higher comfortableness, which have been specifically designed for alpine cold areas, he said.

Wu said the new thermal insulation devices for food storage are also equipped and new-type outdoor instant foods for alpine cold areas are under trial. The military was also using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables to duty posts, he said.

The application of high-tech means will facilitate the construction of logistic support capacity and promote the troops' war preparation work, Wu said.

China has deployed thousands of soldiers along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh in sub-zero conditions following the escalation of the five-month-long military standoff with India that began in early May. Though the two sides have held a series of diplomatic and military-level talks, there was no breakthrough on the disengagement of troops from the friction points so far.