Close to two months ago, an Indian motor boat on regular patrolling duty along the perceived border in the lake, was surrounded by three Chinese naval crafts. Things started turning tense as the Chinese crafts approached the Indian boat (which was sufficiently armed with two machine guns and a 20 strong Army contingent).

The situation calmed down only after the quick thinking operator swung around the larger Indian boat in circles to disperse the Chinese craft with the wake of the twin engined vessel.

While such incidents of aggression are rare, Indian soldiers have to remain on their toes. Especially as China has a stronger military presence on the lake. The Chinese Navy operates close to 22 armed patrol boats in the lake – mostly smaller vessels seating 5-7 soldiers.

India, on the other hand, has two patrol boats that are operated by the Army. While these boats are bigger – carrying up to 21 soldiers – the numeric superiority that China enjoys is undeniable. Stuck in the corridors of South Block is a proposal to ferry in an extra 10-12 boats for better patrolling of the lake. Last month's visit to Pangong lake by Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta is expected to give an impetus to the proposal.

However, till India and China resolve the border dispute at the political level, incursions and transgressions in the region will continue. "There has been no change in pattern(of incursions) in the past few years. They come in and we record their movements, we go there and they record ours," a senior Army officer says.