IAF's Rs 230 cr Nyoma airfield in Ladakh to run from Oct; why is it crucial for India's LAC strategy against China?

Time of India

24-07-2025

In a major step towards strengthening India's military presence near the
Line of Actual Control
(LAC) with China, the
Border Roads Organisation
(BRO) is nearing completion of the strategically vital
Mudh airfield
in the
Nyoma region
of eastern Ladakh, according to a TOI report.
Scheduled for completion by October, the airfield—one of the highest in the world at 13,710 feet—will significantly boost the
Indian Air Force
's (IAF) reach and readiness in the sensitive region.
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The Rs 230 crore infrastructure project involves a comprehensive upgrade of the original airstrip, transforming it into a 2.7-kilometre rigid runway with a width of 46 metres.
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Along with the runway, the project includes a dispersal area, turning pads, an Air Traffic Control (ATC) complex, aircraft hangars, watchtowers, a crash bay, and accommodation facilities for personnel.
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'The main runway is fully operational, and the supporting infrastructure is nearly finished,' an official source told TOI.
Strategic importance near China border
Situated just 35 kilometres from the LAC, Nyoma is poised to become a crucial forward operating base for Indian troops stationed in the region.
The report noted that the project will enhance rapid troop deployment and improve logistics support in high-altitude terrain, especially in times of crisis.
The upgraded airfield will eventually support operations of all fixed-wing aircraft, including heavy-lift transport planes and fighter jets, though high altitude conditions will continue to impose some limitations—similar to those faced by the Chinese Air Force across the LAC.
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While Nyoma is expected to be fully available for fighter operations by early 2026, the immediate benefits will be seen in transport and logistics operations.
The airfield's strategic value has grown significantly since tensions escalated in eastern Ladakh in 2020, when Chinese troops made multiple incursions into Indian territory, triggering a prolonged military standoff.
A regional race for altitude readiness
China has been rapidly modernising its own
high-altitude airbases
along the LAC over the last five years.
Through a mix of runway extensions, hardened shelters, ammunition and fuel storage upgrades, and the construction of new heliports, it has enhanced its ability to sustain combat aircraft in thin-air environments.
Key Chinese airfields like Hotan, Kashgar, Shigatse, Nyingchi, and Hoping now host advanced aircraft including J-20 stealth fighters, bombers, drones, and surveillance planes.
India, in response, has accelerated efforts to expand its air presence in the region. Nyoma will become the fifth key air base for the IAF in Ladakh, complementing existing facilities at Leh, Kargil, Thoise, and the Daulat Beg Oldie advanced landing ground (ALG).
TOI further reported that Nyoma was originally reactivated in 2009 with the landing of an AN-32 transport aircraft, and has since remained an important node in IAF's high-altitude network.
Parallel infrastructure upgrades are underway at other ALGs, including Fukche and DBO in Ladakh, as well as airfields in Arunachal Pradesh such as Mechuka, Pasighat, Tuting, Walong, and Ziro.
According to the report, even civilian airstrips in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are now increasingly being adapted for dual-use military operations.