In News:

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has formally operationalised the Nyoma Air Base in Eastern Ladakh after Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh successfully landed a C-130J aircraft on its newly completed runway. The airbase is now one of the world’s highest fully operational military airfields, marking a major milestone in India’s border infrastructure modernisation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

Location and Geography

• Situated at: Mudh-Nyoma, Leh district, Ladakh
• Altitude: ~13,700 feet
• Distance from LAC: About 23-30 km
• Located near:
  • Southern bank of Pangong Tso
  • Northern bank of the Indus River
  • Strategic valleys of Hanle, Chumar, and Demchok
• Terrain:
  • High-altitude cold desert
  • Harsh temperatures reaching –30°C
  • Construction possible only for limited months each year

Historical Background

• Initially built as a mud airstrip in 1962, remained unused for decades.
• Reactivated in 2009 with the landing of an AN-32 aircraft.
• After the 2020 India-China standoff, Nyoma ALG supported:
  • C-130J
  • AN-32
  • Apache
  • Chinook
    helicopter and aircraft operations.
• In 2023, the BRO began converting the airstrip into a full airbase under Project Himank.
• Completed in 2024 at a cost of ?218 crore, led significantly by women officers of the BRO.
• Fully operationalised in November 2025, after installation of hangars, ATC, hardstanding, and allied facilities.

Infrastructure and Capability

Nyoma Air Base now includes:

• 2.7-km paved runway, capable of handling:
  • Fighter aircraft
  • Heavy-lift transport aircraft
  • Helicopter operations
• Supporting infrastructure:
  • Hangars
  • Air Traffic Control (ATC)
  • Hard surfaces for aircraft parking
  • Logistics and troop accommodation
• Its flatter valley location makes operations easier and quicker compared to Leh.

Strategic Importance

• Enhanced Operational Reach
  • Enables rapid deployment of troops and equipment near the LAC.
  • Allows quicker launch of interdiction strikes if required.
  • Strengthens high-altitude air mobility in the Indus–Pangong–Hanle corridor.
• Bolsters Border Infrastructure
  • Complements existing airfields at:Leh, Kargil, Thoise, Daulet Beg Oldie, and Fukche
  • Part of India’s larger infrastructure push post-2020, including new roads, bridges, tunnels, helipads, and logistics hubs.
• Strategic Deterrence Against China
  • Improves surveillance and presence along a sensitive frontier.
  • Counters China’s rapid infrastructure development along its side of the LAC, including new airbases, missile sites, bunkers, and underground storage facilities.
• Supports Ground Operations
  • Facilitates sustained patrols in areas such as Demchok and Depsang, where the Army resumed patrolling in 2024 after a long pause.
  • Helps maintain operational readiness in a “stable but sensitive” LAC environment.
  • Strengthens India’s long-term defensive posture and contributes to overall border stability.