Eye on China, MoD to revive 2 airstrips in Ladakh, Arunachal

The Ministry of Defence is reviving two defunct advanced landing grounds (ALGs) bordering China. One of these is situated at Chushul in eastern Ladakh, while the other is at Anini in far-east Arunachal Pradesh.

Both are located close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the disputed boundary between India and China. Sources said as per the “future roadmap of the IAF”, these two ALGs would be developed for its use as well as that of the Army to operate UAVs and helicopters. The length of the existing airstrips provide for landing of the IAF’s Airbus C-295 and the C-130-J special operations plane.

Chushul is barely 4 km west of the LAC and is naturally flat at 14,000 ft on the Ladakh plateau. This facility was last used during the 1962 India-China war when the IAF’s Soviet-origin plane — the AN-12 — airlifted a troop of AMX-13 tanks from Chandigarh to Chushul.

A book, “History of the Conflict with China-1962”, released for “restricted” circulation by the Ministry of Defence in March 1993, says, “The AN-12 aircraft airlifted a troop of AMX-13 tanks to Chushul on October 25… tanks and 25-pounder guns may well have saved the day for Ladakh”.

In the past, proposals to revive the ALG at Chushul were not okayed, keeping in mind the sensitivities of the Chinese.

The second ALG at Anini in Dibang Valley in far-east Arunachal Pradesh is a natural plateau. It was a staging ground for supplies from British-held India to China — both on the same side during World War II.

Post-Independence, the IAF prepared plans and created a mud-paved runway, which was not used. The Allied forces – the UK and the US — flew supplies over the Himalayas. The route was known as “The Hump” because of the altitude of the eastern Himalayas.

The Arunachal Pradesh Government had requested the ministry to revive the Anini ALG that has a clear runway length of 1.50 km. A team from the ministry, led by the IAF, had inspected the site.

The ALG is a military nomenclature for mud-paved runways that exist close to the front. Reviving an ALG would mean stationing a small unit that can direct the path of planes, helicopters and UAVs. Over time, infrastructure will have to be added to allow for stay of a small crew.

In the past 20 years, the ministry has revived ALGs in eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. Two of these are in Ladakh — at Daulat Baig Oldie and Nyoma. The latter is being now being developed into a full-fledged airbase, set to be functional next month.

Seven ALGs in Arunachal Pradesh were converted into full-fledged runways. These are at Along, Mechuka, Pasighat, Tuting, Vijayanagar, Walong and Ziro. Military planes operate from these carrying supplies as well as civilian population.