IAF gets new base for aircraft near China border (Evening Lead)
September 18th, 2009 - 8:28 pm ICT by IANS ( Leave a comment )Jammu, Sep 18 (IANS) Coinciding with reports of Chinese intrusions into Indian territory, the Indian Air Force (IAF) Friday said it had converted a landing ground meant for helicopters into an air strip for aircraft.
The Advanced Landing Ground at Nyoma in Ladakh, about 25 km from the border, Friday morning received its first fixed wing aircraft in the form of an AN-32.
At 6.25 a.m., Group Captain S.C. Chatekar touched down on the airstrip, 13,300 feet above sea level, with Western Air Command chief Air Marshal N.A.K. Browne and Indian Army Northern Command chief Lieutenant General P.C. Bharadwaj on board.
“Helicopters have been landing here, but this is for the first time that a fixed wing aircraft has landed,” an IAF spokesperson said.
The development coincides with reports of Chinese border intrusions. China and India have denied this.
The landing was made possible after extensive surveys, said Col. D.K. Kachari, the defence ministry spokesperson in Udhampur, headquarters of the Northern Command.
The task of developing the landing ground to the standards required for fixed wing aircraft was undertaken by the Engineers Regiment of 14 Corps.
Friday’s landing marks the culmination of joint effort by the IAF and Indian Army to enable the air force to operate larger flying machines in the inhospitable terrain in support of the army, the IAF official added.
Nyoma has been developed to connect the remote areas of Ladakh region to the mainland.
“This (air strip) will ensure that movements in the area continue when the road traffic gets affected during the harsh winters,” he added.
It will also improve communication network and facilitate the economical ferrying of supplies besides promoting tourism.
The landing comes just 15 months after an AN-32 landed at the Daulat-Beg-Oldie (DBO), the highest airfield in the world situated at an altitude of 16,200 feet, also in Ladakh region.
The IAF has been upgrading and refurbishing Advanced Landing Grounds along the border with China. India and China fought a war in 1962.
- Aircraft start using IAF base in Ladakh near China border (Lead, Changing Dateline) - Sep 18, 2009
- Aircraft start using IAF base near China border - Sep 18, 2009
- India Air Force activates Nyoma airfield close to China border - Sep 18, 2009
- Antony becomes first Defence Minister to land at Nyoma - Jun 23, 2010
- Ace fighter pilot Browne is new IAF vice chief (Lead) - Jan 01, 2011
- India quietly activates airstrip near Chinese border - Apr 27, 2011
- India re-activating air strip in Arunachal - Nov 17, 2011
- Antony visits Ladakh border area near China (With Images) - Jun 22, 2010
- Kargil to be a major air base by 2016 - Oct 03, 2011
- (After 1) India to promote tourism in Ladakh, Kargil - Nov 22, 2009
- Indian Army wants night landing facilities in border airfields - Oct 10, 2011
- Air Marshal Kumaria on a two-day visit to Air Force Station Chandigarh - Mar 01, 2011
- IAF commanders assess force levels - Oct 12, 2011
- Reactivated airfield in Arunachal strategic: IAF chief - Nov 18, 2011
- Sukhois detected an aircraft-like something in Bhutan: IAF - May 02, 2011
Tags: air marshal, air strip, airstrip, bharadwaj, chief lieutenant, command chief, communication network, daulat, defence ministry, feet above sea level, group captain, harsh winters, indian air force, indian army, indian territory, inhospitable terrain, intrusions, ladakh, lieutenant general, wing aircraft
