NEW DELHI: India has inaugurated a new high-altitude airbase in Ladakh capable of handling fighter jet operations, marking a major step in its border defense strategy with China. The milestone came as Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh made the first landing of a C-130J transport aircraft at the Mudh-Nyoma air force station, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Situated at an altitude of nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) and just 30 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the new base becomes India’s third key air station in the region. Defence experts said the move strengthens India’s ability to operate aircraft close to the disputed Himalayan frontier.
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“This new airfield in Ladakh, capable of fighter operations, will pose a fresh challenge for both of our adversaries,” retired Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor wrote on X, referring to China and Pakistan. He noted that China also maintains a similar facility at comparable altitude.
The development follows a recent thaw in India-China relations, highlighted by a 2024 military pact to ease border tensions and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China earlier this year. However, military analysts caution that mistrust persists, with both sides continuing to bolster their infrastructure and troop deployments along the 3,800-km frontier.
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India and China, who fought a brief but bloody border war in 1962, have struggled for decades to settle their territorial disputes. Relations deteriorated sharply after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, but have gradually improved following diplomatic and military dialogue over the past year.