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IAF FINISHES BLACK-TOPPING OF NYOMA LANDING STRIP NEAR LAC

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 3/4/2024 11:37:16 AM

Mumbai,Mar 03 The first landing of a fixed-wing aircraft at the Nyoma ALG took place on September 18, 2009, when an AN-32 transport aircraft landed there. The Indian Air Force’s Advanced Landing G r o u n d (ALG) in N y o m a , close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, has now been black-topped, while work is ongoing to extend the runway so that it can eventually handle fighter jets, according to defence sources. “The work is about 15% complete and is now stopped due to winter. It will restart in April. It is on track to be completed in two years,” the source stated. Responding to apprehensions that the airfield could become an easy target for China as it is only 30 km away from the LAC, the source said that it was very well located and would prove to be a great advantage for India. The first landing of a fixed-wing aircraft at the Nyoma ALG took place on September 18, 2009, when an AN-32 transport aircraft landed there. The runway is now being extended to 9,000 or 10,000 feet to enable it to handle all fighter aircraft in the IAF’s inventory. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had laid the foundation stone for the ALG last September, exuding confidence that this airfield, which will be one of the world’s highest, would prove to be a “game-changer” for the armed forces. The ALG’s cost of development is approximately ₹200 crore. Nyoma is about 180 km away from Leh at an altitude of about 13,700 feet, and lies close to the southern bank of the Pangong Tso. The IAF also has airfields at Leh, Thoise and Kargil, as well as ALGs at Daulet Beg-Oldie and Fukche. However, the Leh and Thoise airfields are located in interior areas and officials with knowledge of the area said that the weather at Nyoma is much more stable in comparison to the other.