Waking up to the Chinese threat, the Indian army bolstered its defences along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by landing, for the first time, a fixed wing transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Nyoma airstrip in the Ladakh sector on Friday.
“The landing of the fixed wing aircraft at the Nyoma advanced landing ground (ALG) marks the culmination of joint efforts by the IAF and the Indian Army,’’ said colonel DK Kachari, ministry of defence spokesman, at the northern command headquarters, adding it would enable both to operate in the inhospitable terrain of Leh-Ladakh region in tandem.
The ALG would ensure that the troops deployed on the LAC get uninterrupted supplies during the harsh winter. Also, it would boost the defence system as troops can now be ferried fast to this LAC during an emergency, he added.
The landing at Nyoma comes 15 months after an AN-32 landed at Daulat-Beg-Oldie (DBO), the highest airfield in the world. The base was established during the Sino-Indian conflict in 1962. However, it was closed in 1966 after an earthquake in the
region.
People in Ladakh have welcomed the commissioning of the ALG in Nyoma saying it will reassure them against any threat.
“This will not only boost the defence systems but also reassure people living in the region against Chinese incursions,” said Tsering Dorjay, chief executive councillor of the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
Despite two landmark agreements — the Peace and Tranquillity Agreement, 1993, and Confidence Building Measures in 1996 — between India and China to improve bilateral relations, the latter has been violating airspace.
Last month Chinese helicopters intruded into Indian territory in Chumar sector in Leh and left red markings on the rocks.
