East Ladakh's Nyoma airfield set to be operational by October
NEW DELHI: In a boost to India's military capabilities close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, the crucial Mudh airfield project in the high-altitude Nyoma area in eastern Ladakh is all set to be completed by Oct.
The upgrade work by (BRO) at the airfield, among the world's highest at an altitude of 13,710 feet, included extending and strengthening the original airstrip into a 2.7km 'rigid pavement' runway with a dispersal area and turning pads, among other things.
The Rs 230 crore upgrade will allow operations by all kinds of fixed-wing aircraft like heavy-lift transport planes and fighter jets from both directions. "The runway, with 46m width, is fully ready.
The allied infrastructure, including the ATC complex, hangar, crash bay, watch towers, accommodation and the likes, is also more or less complete," an official told TOI.
"Nyoma will prove crucial as a forward staging ground for troops deployed in the region and transporting supplies quickly to them. The airfield will also be available for fighter operations by early 2026, though high altitude will be a limiting factor, much like what Chinese air force faces across LAC," he said.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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China, in fact, has systematically worked over the last five years to offset terrain constraints at its airbases facing India due to high altitude and rarefied air, which limits weapon and fuel-carrying capacity of aircraft.
With new and extended runways, hardened shelters, fuel and ammunition storage facilities, China has managed to deploy additional jets, including advanced J-20 stealth fighters as well as bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and drones, at its airfields like Hotan, Kashgar, Gargunsa, Shigatse, Bangda, Nyingchi and Hoping.
It has also built many new heliports along the 3,488km LAC, stretching from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
India is trying to play catch-up. Located about 35km from LAC, Nyoma will be another operational base for IAF in Ladakh after the Leh, Kargil and Thoise airfields and Daulat Beg Oldie ALG (advanced landing ground). Nyoma was reactivated as an ALG when a medium-lift AN-32 transport aircraft first landed there in Sept 2009.
The upgrade project began during the military confrontation with China that erupted after the People's Liberation Army made multiple incursions into eastern Ladakh in April-May 2020.
In addition to strengthening the capacity of existing airbases to handle more aircraft, India has progressively upgraded the infrastructure at ALGs like Fukche and DBO in Ladakh, as well as Pasighat, Mechuka, Walong, Tuting, Along and Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh. Similarly, civil ALGs in the middle sector (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) of LAC are also now being increasingly used for military purposes.
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