India activates Nyoma airbase close to China border — a booster shot for Army in Ladakh

On Wednesday, the Indian forces operationalised their new Nyoma airbase near the frontier with China, seen as a major booster shot for the country’s military capabilities in Eastern Ladakh. The airbase has been activated at a time when an Army exercise called ‘Poorvi Prachand Prahar’ is underway in Arunachal Pradesh.

Military experts believe that developments on both sides of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) reflect India’s military readiness along the China border. “There is an ongoing reset in bilateral diplomatic ties. Military CBMs are also being progressively strengthened, but the trust deficit on the ground remains high,” a senior officer told The Times of India. 

“With no de-escalation along LAC, troops will continue to be forward deployed for the 6th successive winter since multiple Chinese incursions into eastern Ladakh in April-May 2020,” he added. It is pertient to note that the Nyoma airbase underwent a Rs 230 crore upgrade recently.

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Not only this, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh himself flew a C-130J ‘Super Hercules’ aircraft from Hindon on the outskirts of Delhi to the Mudh airfield at Nyoma, among the world’s highest at an altitude of 13,710 feet, to formally inaugurate the strategically located airbase. During the inaugural flight, he was accompanied by Western Air Command chief Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra.

About the Nyoma airbase

The airbase is located just 35 km from the LAC and has undergone an upgrade, which included extending the original airstrip into a 2.7-km ‘rigid pavement’ runway, a new ATC complex, hangars, a crash bay and accommodation, according to TOI. 

The Mudh airfield is now fully capable of handling and sustaining operations by heavy-lift transport planes and fighter jets from both directions. It is primarily expected to help quickly rush troops, weapons and supplies to areas such as Pangong Tso, Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh. According to TOI, the airfield will also be available for fighter operations by early 2026, though high altitude will be a limiting factor.

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On the other side of the border, China has assiduously upgraded all its airbases facing India over the last five years to offset the terrain constraints due to high-altitude and rarefied air. Beijing now has additional fighters, including advanced J-20 stealth fighters, as well as bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and drones deployed at its airfields like Hotan, Kashgar, Gargunsa, Shigatse, Bangda, Nyingchi and Hoping.

Apart from this, China has also built many new heliports all along the LAC. When it comes to the ‘Poorvi Prachand Prahar’ exercise in the high-altitude terrain of Mechuka and other areas of Arunachal Pradesh, thousands of soldiers from the 3 Spear Corps of the Indian Army have been deployed, TOI reported. As per the report, the exercise aims at validating rapid mobilisation, operational logistics and precision-strike capabilities.

“The right force must reach the right place at the right time during conflicts,” an officer said. Nyoma will be another operational base for the IAF in Ladakh after Leh, Kargil and Thoise airfields and the Daulat Beg Oldie ALG (advanced landing ground). Apart from this, India has also progressively upgraded the infrastructure at ALGs like Pasighat, Mechuka, Walong, Tuting, Along and Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh.