Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said that the situation along the Line of Control can escalate any time and the country had to be prepared.

General Rawat, who ends his three-year tenure on December 31, did not specify what the Army response would have been had there been another Pulwama-style terror attack or if Pakistan Air Force jets attacked the ammunition dump on February 27 during the air-duel post-Balakot.

When he had taken over as Chief of the 1.3 million-strong Army at the end of 2016, General Rawat had set himself three targets: restoring the image of the Army; remaining prepared for operations and addressing rumblings within the force.

During his tenure, the Army has moved the concept of integrated battle groups, which would start off with the area around Pathankot and Jammu. Another IBG would be in the area under the 33 Corps in Sikkim. The Mountain Strike Corps could also get an IBG.

In these three years, the Army is also considering using technology to keep an eye on the Line of Actual Control with China. The first attempt is expected in Sikkim, which is a settled border. The Army’s proposal is to use technology to monitor and not use troops on each peak, especially in areas where there is no presence of China opposite. This can bring down the cost of logistics.