IAF Chief inaugurates Mudh-Nyoma airbase near LAC in Ladakh

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh on Wednesday inaugurated the strategic airbase at Mudh-Nyoma in eastern Ladakh.

The IAF Chief arrived at Nyoma in a C-130J special operations aircraft to formally open the base — the fourth paved and operational runway in Ladakh — located just 23 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The other operational runways in the region are at Leh, Thoise (base for Siachen operations) and Kargil. Additionally, the IAF operates a mud-paved runway at Daulat Beg Oldie in northern Ladakh for special operations aircraft and helicopters.

As reported by The Tribune on Wednesday, the Nyoma base features a 2.7-km runway capable of handling fighter jets, transport aircraft and helicopters. The name “Mudh-Nyoma” is derived from the nearby village of Mudh, located opposite the base.

Air Chief Marshal Singh was accompanied by Western Air Command Chief Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra. Situated at an altitude of 13,700 feet, the Mudh-Nyoma airbase is a key strategic asset given its proximity to the contested frontier with China.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had laid the foundation stone for the Rs 218-crore project in September 2023. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) executed the project, which includes allied infrastructure such as hangars, an air traffic control building and hardstanding areas for aircraft parking and maintenance.

Since the military standoff with China began in April 2020, India has accelerated the development of roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields and helipads in its border regions to boost mobility and logistics support for its forces.

The Nyoma airstrip, originally a mud-paved runway, had remained unused for decades after the 1962 India-China war. It was reactivated in September 2009 when an AN-32 transport aircraft landed there for the first time.

Located on the banks of the Indus river, Nyoma lies about 180 km southeast of Leh at an altitude of 13,700 feet, where winter temperatures can plummet to minus 20°C — conditions that necessitate specialised maintenance infrastructure.

Separately, the Ministry of Defence is reviving a defunct Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) at Chushul in eastern Ladakh, close to the China border. In military terms, an ALG refers to a basic mud-paved runway near the frontlines, which can be upgraded over time to support aircraft operations, including those of helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles.