China Strengthens PLA With Mobile Oxygen Gear in Tibet to Enhance Combat Power Against Indian Troops

As the stand-off between the neighbouring nations continues, the Indian and Chinese armies have kept more than 50,000 extra troops for a second consecutive winter in the Himalayas' freezing temperatures and sparse oxygen levels. The last military commanders' meeting on 10 October to disengage troops from key friction areas ended in a stalemate.

China has supplied a range of portable equipment to its soldiers stationed in areas 3,000 metres above sea level, which will improve their fighting abilities in the hostile environment of the Himalayas. The new "mobile cabins", with integrated facilities such as oxygen concentrators, will help frontline troops to keep going for long hours at sub-zero temperature and low oxygen levels.

The Logistic Support Department of China's Central Military Commission (CMC) said that oxygen production and supply has become portable and individualised for every soldier.

The CMC has also increased supplies of field oxygen in Tibet by establishing portable oxygen generators and solid oxygen generators, targeting the specific needs of plateau border patrol missions.

"A support system for oxygen use in both peacetime and wartime has thereby been established," the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said in a statement.

The PLA has already opened the world's most extensive "plateau human genetic resources biological sample bank" in the Tibetan region to improve medical research into altitude sickness.

"Relevant departments will continue to improve the altitude sickness prevention and control system, while taking oxygen supply support and hypoxia pre-adaptation and pre-conditioning as the starting point to build an even stronger health protective screen for plateau-stationed PLA service members," the statement further read.

Soldiers need more than 10 days to acclimatise to the harsh atmosphere where oxygen levels are only 60 percent of that available in the plains. Temperatures in the forward areas also drop to 30 below freezing (Celsius) around January.

Footage released by the Indian Army showed troops equipped with portable oxygen cylinders carrying out free fall jumps from C-130 and AN 32 aircraft.

Shatrujeet Brigade of Indian Army conducts an Airborne insertion along the Northern Borders in Eastern Ladakh as part of demonstration of its Rapid Response Capabilities. pic.twitter.com/1DSaSqsUQs

— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) November 2, 2021

In July this year, the Indian government supplied portable oxygen concentrators to border outposts along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Last month, a severe disagreement erupted between the two armies during the commanders' level conference.

India's defence ministry said in a statement that it had made "constructive suggestions" but the Chinese side was "not agreeable" and "could not provide any forward-looking proposals".

China had described India's proposals as "unreasonable and unrealistic".

The two Asian rivals have stationed more than 50,000 troops assisted by artillery, tanks, and fighter jets along the loosely demarcated LAC. Last year, 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in a clash involving stones and fists in the Galwan Valley.