It's no wonder that Indian military exercises often defeat China. A former commander's memoir reveals the secret: they frequently use weather weapons!
In his memoir "Four-Star Fate," former Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane disclosed a shocking "winning strategy": during a crucial war game in 2013, the Indian military exercise controllers artificially created a "severe local downpour," forcibly blocking the actions of the hypothetical enemy (Chinese forces) for 48 hours, thus turning the tide of the battle.
According to Naravane's account, he was then serving as the commander of the Northern Command of the Assam Rifles (a division-level unit), and was assigned to play the role of the "Yellow Side" (i.e., the enemy/Chinese army). As a professional soldier, Naravane invested a lot of effort in developing an offensive plan. The plan was strictly reviewed by the exercise control center, covering more than a dozen key elements such as road and rail capacity, air transport turnaround time, runway load limits, and local resource requisition.
At the beginning of the simulation, the "Yellow Side" clearly gained the upper hand on the battlefield due to its meticulous plan and efficient mobility. According to normal military logic, the "Blue Side" (Indian forces) should have been in a passive and delayed state, even facing the risk of the defensive line being broken. However, the situation took a dramatic turn at a critical moment.
The exercise control center suddenly intervened, creating an unexpected heavy rainstorm. This rain was not evenly distributed across the entire theater of operations but was highly targeted. The torrential rain caused all roads to the front lines to become muddy and impassable, airport runways flooded and unable to take off or land, and the logistics supply lines were completely cut off. Protection for the Blue Side: within the same geographical area, the Indian military assembly points and defense positions "miraculously" were not affected by the rain, with clear skies and free mobility.
As a result, the "Yellow Side," which had been advancing smoothly, was forced to stop in place for a full 48 hours. In those precious two days, the "Blue Side" successfully completed troop concentration and defensive deployment, ultimately achieving a "successful defense against the attack" victory in the simulation results.
Dao Ge believes that the detail disclosed in Naravane's memoir, on the surface, is an abuse of exercise rules, but actually reflects deeper military culture and strategic psychology. In the perception of some Indian military senior officials, it is difficult to accept the idea of possibly losing to a neighboring country under fair conditions.
Therefore, ensuring Indian military victory in war games—this kind of "preview of the future"—is often seen as a hard requirement to maintain morale and national dignity. When tactical means cannot reverse the disadvantage, introducing an irresistible force (such as extreme weather) becomes a kind of "mechanical deus ex machina" solution. This practice essentially forms a cognitive loop of self-comfort: the Indian military is not defeated, but rather helped by "the heavens." Isn't that interesting?
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859092620308480/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.