JAMMU — At the commanding altitude of 13,700 feet, the world’s highest fighter airfield has come up in Ladakh where 95% of work on the 2.7-km runway has been completed while other allied infrastructural works are likely to be completed by September 2025, officials involved in the project were quoted by the news agency KNO as having said.
Being constructed by Border Roads Organization (BRO) at Mudh in the Nyoma Subdivision of eastern Ladakh at an altitude of 13,700 feet is located 35 kilometres from the Actual Line of Control (LAC) with China and about 200 kilometres from Leh city.
The ongoing projects near the contested border with China will give the country’s infrastructure push along its farthest frontiers a shot in the arm.
Officials said that 95 percent of work on the runway is complete and it is ready for any kind of aircraft for an emergency landing. However, formal commissioning of the national project will take place next year as allied infrastructure, including hangars, an air traffic control building, and hard-standing areas, is slated for completion by September 2025.
Colonel Ponung Doming, the woman officer leading 755 BRTF in Ladakh, which oversees the construction of critical projects, said that the runway was completed in record time. “The project was awarded in 2023 and within a year, we were able to complete the construction of the runway, which is a major milestone and a great boost for the team,” the Colonel said.
She added that it would be the highest airfield after Ladakh, which was constructed at an altitude of 11000 feet. The officer further said that there was a great boost to infrastructure needs which not only gave a shot in the arms to the armed forces but also a spike in local economy.
“More than 600 kilometres of roads come under my area of responsibility in Hanley. The mostly border terrains where works are going on and these roads give a boost to the tourism industry, where people need to book homestays 2-3 months in advance, due to its accessibility and road connectivity,” she said.
On September 12, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for the airfield. The construction of this airfield is estimated to cost Rs 218 crore.
Strategic Significance of Nyoma
Nyoma is on the southern shores of Pangong Tso and holds immense strategic importance due to its proximity to the 3,488 km stretch of the LAC.
The construction of the Nyoma airfield will not only enable the seamless operation of heavier transport aircraft but also pave the way for the deployment of fighter jets, including the MiG-29 and Su-30 MKI. The new runway will bring these formidable aircraft much closer to the LAC, enhancing India’s defensive posture in the region.
This move was aimed at providing essential support to troops stationed in forward areas, conducting surveillance operations, and gathering crucial intelligence.
In 2020, amid heightened tensions between India and China, the Indian Air Force made a pivotal decision to deploy a fleet of Mi-17 medium-lift helicopters, CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters at Nyoma.
BRO has completed 330 projects worth Rs 8,737 crore over the past three years, significantly enhancing the military’s strategic mobility along the LAC. These projects reinforce India’s deterrence strategy against China.
