Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh virtually laid the foundation stone of Nyoma Airfield in Eastern Ladakh.
- This airfield, to be developed at a cost of approx. Rs 200 crore, will boost the air infrastructure in Ladakh and augment IAF’s capability along the Northern border.
- The Raksha Mantri exuded confidence that this airfield, which will be one of the world’s highest, would prove to be a game-changer for the Armed Forces.
- Nyoma airfield, located at a height of 13,300 feet and 23km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along which India and China have been locked in a military standoff for more than three years.
- The airstrip was out of use for decades after the 1962 India-China war before the Indian Air Force reactivated it in September 2009 and landed an AN-32 transport aircraft there for the first time.
- IAF has operated its C-130J special operations aircraft, AN-32s and helicopters from Nyoma in support of the military’s forward deployments, including during the ongoing LAC row with China.
