New Delhi: In a significant boost to high-altitude military logistics, the Indian Army’s Gajraj Corps has indigenously designed and operationalised a High Altitude Mono Rail System at nearly 16,000 feet in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kameng sector — one of the most challenging and weather-hit frontiers along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Kameng Himalayas are marked by sheer cliffs, sub-zero temperatures, sudden weather shifts and rugged terrain that frequently disrupt supply lines. Forward posts often remain cut off for days due to heavy snowfall, making conventional transportation methods unreliable.
To overcome these long-standing logistical hurdles, the Gajraj Corps engineered a mono rail system capable of transporting over 300 kg of load in a single trip. Built for continuous, all-weather functioning, it can operate day or night — even in hail, storms or whiteout conditions — ensuring uninterrupted delivery of rations, ammunition, fuel, engineering tools and other essential supplies.
“The system enables safe and reliable movement of mission-critical stores and heavy loads across steep gradients and unstable surfaces. It is fully operational day or night, with or without escort, and remains unaffected by harsh weather,” a defence official said.
Its sturdy, weather-agnostic design allows it to function in areas where vehicles, mules and even porters face extreme risk. The system has also shown promise in speeding up casualty evacuation, particularly in zones where helicopters cannot land or fly safely and manual evacuation is both slow and hazardous.
The initiative reflects the Army’s ongoing drive to innovate for extreme environments, ensuring that troops deployed along difficult Himalayan frontiers remain fully supported and mission-ready.
