Ladakh airstrip to become fully operational fighter base
21 Sep 2010
New Delhi: China's aggressive stance in the disputed northern and eastern regions of Kashmir, in particular Gilgit and Baltistan, is receiving due attention from the Indian side.
The Indian Air Force is now planning to upgrade its Nyoma advanced landing ground (ALG) in Eastern Ladakh into a full-fledged air base.
The eastern part of Ladakh faces the disputed region of Aksai Chin, an area illegally occupied by China since the 1950s.
Indian defence ministry sources said Monday that the IAF had submitted a proposal to develop Nyoma into ''a full-fledged airfield, capable of handling all kinds of aircraft, including fighters'', as well as civilian flights.
The derelict air strip was re-activated into an operational airbase in September 2009 when an IAF medium-haul AN-32 transport aircraft landed there.
Nyoma along with other ALGs, like Daulat Beg Oldi and Fukche, was reactivated with the stated objective of connecting remote regions of Ladakh with the mainland in order to promote tourism and other economic activity.
