Ladakh: India Prepares For Next Standoff With China As Nyoma Airfield Close To LAC Nears Completion

India is set to complete the upgrade of the Mudh airfield in Ladakh's Nyoma by October this year, The Times of India has reported.

Located at over 13,700 feet, it is one of the world’s highest airstrips and lies just 35 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

The Ra 230 crore project, led by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), includes a 2.7-km-long, 46-meter-wide rigid pavement runway, along with dispersal areas, turning pads, an ATC complex, hangars, crash bays and watchtowers.

The upgraded airfield will support operations by all types of fixed-wing aircraft, including heavy-lift transporters and fighter jets. Fighter operations are expected to begin by early 2026, although the high altitude will limit payload capacities as seen on the Chinese side.

Nyoma’s proximity to the Demchok sector adds to its strategic value. The area, known as the “Demchok funnel,” is one of the few stretches along the LAC in Ladakh suitable for mechanised warfare, making the airfield critical for rapid deployment of armoured units and logistics in case of conflict.

Nyoma will also serve as a key forward staging ground for troop movement and supply lines. The upgrade was fast-tracked after the 2020 border standoff, when Chinese troops made multiple incursions across the LAC.

India has since accelerated work on other airfields and advanced landing grounds (ALGs), including Daulat Beg Oldie and Fukche in Ladakh, and Pasighat, Mechuka, Walong, Tuting and Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh.

ALGs in the middle sector of the LAC, spanning the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, are also being adapted for military use, as work continues to bridge the infrastructure gap with China along the 3,488-km long frontier.