India: The Indian Air Force is covertly modernizing its facilities at 20 air sites along the eastern border while keeping a watchful eye on China. In addition to building more runways to offset the increased civilian traffic and provide a backup plan in case one of the runways is bombed by the enemy forces during the war, it is also adding hardened aircraft shelters and munition centers to conduct China-centric operations in case of an eventuality.
For instance, the strategically important Leh airbase in Ladakh, which has been the scene of multiple skirmishes between the Chinese and Indian militaries in recent years, is building a second runway. Maintaining the Indian military’s operations near the Line of Actual Control with China and Siachen depends on the base.
Strategic Importance and Operational Capabilities of Leh Aviation Station
Fighters and IAF transport aircraft are able to operate out of the facility at night. Since the relations with China soured, the base has been regularly used by Rafales, MiG-29, Sukhoi-30, and Apache aircraft.
When severe winters cut off road connections to the area, this is the sole method of transporting workers and supplies. Leh, which sits at 10,000 feet, will be the nation’s first high-altitude aviation station with two runways.
The station played a vital role in 2020 when 68,000 soldiers and tanks were airlifted in to support India’s position in the eastern sector.
According to reports, “both military and civilian flights at Leh have increased significantly over the past few years, but due to rarified air and climatic conditions, the aircraft’s window of operation is still limited to the morning hours.”
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Enhanced Infrastructure and Strategic Upgrades at Chabua Air Base
The Chabua Air Base’s level of infrastructural development was made clear by satellite photography in April 2024. Fighter jets of the Sukhoi Su-30MKi type are based at this important IAF site in the eastern command, close to the Chinese border. It brought attention to the substantial construction and restorations at the base.
The photo showed the installation of further taxiways, fighter aircraft shelters that were reinforced, and underground ammunition storage. The extra runways and taxiways will allow for the continuation of high-speed operations in the unlikely event that the stalemate with China escalates into a real war. Another feature of the picture is a “improved” taxiway that might be utilized by drones.
Although the contract for the infrastructure upgrading was signed in 2020, they are now considered high-priority due to the increased tension with China. For the purpose of Modernization of Airfield Infrastructure (MAFI), 37 airfields belonging to the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, and Indian Coast Guard have been designated for modernization as part of the Rs 1200 crore project with Tata Power SED (TPSED).
Strategic Upgrades and Historical Significance of Nyoma Air Base
At the Nyoma air base in Ladakh, which is located just 23 kilometers from China’s border, a 2.7-kilometer runway is set to be finished by October 2024. The IAF’s operations in the area will benefit from the new runway, which is 13,700 feet long.
By the end of 2025, the air base at Nyoma will have its support infrastructure completed, including hangars, the air traffic control facility, and hard standing—areas with a hard surface for parking cars and airplanes.
During the brief but brutal war between the two nations in 1962, the Nyoma airport was in use. It was soon abandoned before being brought back into use in 2009 following the landing of an An-32 aircraft. The airstrip has been the base of operations for the C-130J Super Hercules ever since.
The IAF moved its AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, and Mi-17 medium-lift helicopter to Nyoma in 2020 during the height of the standoff with Chinese forces in order to support unit advance deployment and provide intelligence and surveillance.
