India opens high-altitude airbase near disputed China border

India’s air force chief inaugurated operations at a new high-altitude airbase near the disputed Himalayan border with China, defence sources confirmed on November 13. 

The move underscores India’s continued focus on strengthening its strategic capabilities in the sensitive region, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh conducted the first landing of a C-130J military transport aircraft at the Mudh-Nyoma air force station in Ladakh on November 12. The airbase, located at an altitude of approximately 13,000 feet (4,000 metres), is India’s third key air station in the region and is equipped to support fighter jet operations. It lies just 30 km (19 miles) from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

“This new airfield in Ladakh, capable of fighter operations, will add a new challenge for both of our adversaries,” retired Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor said on X, referring to China and Pakistan. He noted that China already maintains an airfield at a comparable elevation.

The development comes amid a gradual thaw in ties between India and China following a landmark 2024 pact aimed at easing military tensions along the de facto border. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited China earlier this year, further signalling a willingness to stabilise relations.

Despite these diplomatic steps, mistrust persists. Indian analysts and officials point to sustained troop deployments and infrastructure build-up on both sides of the border. India and China share a poorly demarcated 3,800 km (2,400 mile) frontier, which has been a source of conflict since the 1950s, including a brief but intense war in 1962 and a deadly clash in 2020.

By Vugar Khalilov