Leh, Feb 19: Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Northern Command, undertook a comprehensive assessment of combat readiness and sustainment mechanisms in the high-altitude sectors of Ladakh, visiting forward locations at the Siachen Glacier and critical logistics installations in Leh.
At the Siachen Glacier, regarded as the world’s highest battlefield, the Army Commander reviewed the operational posture of the Siachen Brigade amid extreme weather and rugged terrain conditions that test both men and machinery. Senior formation commanders briefed him on the prevailing security environment, surveillance architecture, force protection measures and the logistical matrix sustaining troops deployed along the glacier.
The visit included an inspection of the Siachen Ski Node, where Lt Gen Sharma evaluated specialised training facilities that prepare soldiers for mobility, endurance and combat in snow-bound terrain. The node serves as a critical training centre, equipping personnel with advanced skiing skills and acclimatisation protocols required to maintain round-the-year operational capability in sub-zero temperatures.
Interacting with troops deployed in forward positions, the Northern Command chief commended their discipline, fortitude and unwavering commitment under demanding circumstances. He observed that the morale and resilience displayed by soldiers on the glacier continue to reinforce the Army’s defensive grid in the northernmost sector.
Drawing attention to the changing contours of modern warfare, Lt Gen Sharma emphasised the need for continuous adaptation and technological integration. He encouraged units to enhance situational awareness and operational effectiveness through the induction of advanced surveillance platforms, secure communication systems and specialised high-altitude equipment designed to counter emerging threats in the strategically sensitive theatre.
Subsequently, the Army Commander reviewed the Air Movement Control Centre and Logistics Hub in Leh, installations that anchor the supply chain for troops positioned in Eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control. He examined the coordination framework that synchronises air assets with ground logistics units to ensure uninterrupted delivery of rations, fuel, ammunition, winter stocking supplies and mission-critical equipment to remote forward posts.
Officials briefed him on the planning and monitoring processes governing air maintenance operations that link Leh with isolated and strategically important locations, particularly during winter months when surface connectivity is severely curtailed. The Logistics Hub, equipped with modern warehousing systems and contemporary material handling infrastructure, was reviewed for its efficiency in sustaining operations across inhospitable terrain.
Lt Gen Sharma lauded personnel for streamlining supply procedures through automation and improved handling techniques aligned with present operational requirements. He underscored that a responsive and technology-enabled logistics framework remains indispensable for maintaining combat capability in high-altitude operational zones.
The visit reflected the Army’s sustained focus on reinforcing both frontline deployment and backend logistics in Ladakh, amid evolving security dynamics along the northern frontier.
