Air Marshall AP Singh.
Credit: PTI
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshall AP Singh on Wednesday marked the first operation of the Mudh-Nyoma airbase in Ladakh by landing onboard a C130J transport aircraft at the base.
The strategically important airbase is situated at a height of around 13,000 feet and is only about 25 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The operationalisation of the Nyoma airbase is expected to boost India's military's combat readiness in the sensitive area, PTI reported quoting officials.
The new runway is 2.7 km long, has new hangars, an ATC building, crash bay and accommodation. It enables large transport aircraft and combat jets to operate from either direction.
The base is expected to support regular fighter missions by early 2026, though the thin air at that altitude will continue to pose performance limits. Its primary role will be to speed up deployment of troops and equipment to critical locations like Pangong Tso, Demchok and Depsang.
Singh was accompanied at the airbase by Western Air Command chief Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra.
The base has been built at a cost of Rs 218 crore by Border Road Organisation, while the foundation stone of the project was laid in September 2023 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The airbase is open for use for fighter jets, helicopters and transport planes.
Mudh-Nyoma airbase is the fourth such Air Force base in Ladakh. The three others are located in Leh, Kargil and Thoise. The Kargil airstrip is located at an altitude of 10,500 feet.
Further east, India has reinforced advanced landing grounds across Arunachal Pradesh like Pasighat, Mechuka, Walong, Tuting, Along and Ziro and even civilian strips in the middle sector of the LAC are increasingly being used by the military.
Meanwhile, China has also strengthened its airbases near the Indian border with stations such as Hotan, Kashgar, Gargunsa, Shigatse, Bangda, Nyingchi and Hoping now handling additional fighter jets, including J-20s, as well as bombers, drones and reconnaissance platforms.