KD Desk
Ladakh, August 10 : The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed one of the world’s highest mobile air traffic control (ATC) towers at the Advanced Landing Ground here to control fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter operations along the Line of Actual Control.
The ATC, which is one of the world’s highest, controls the operations of the fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters operating in the eastern Ladakh region, Group Captain Ajay Rathi of the Air Force said.
He said that it was required to have such infrastructure to support the operations of the forces in forwarding areas.
India has been considering multiple options of developing airfields in eastern Ladakh including Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), Fukche and Nyoma which are at a distance of few minutes from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The Air Force also has deployed the Igla man-portable air defence missiles to tackle any aerial incursion by any adversary aircraft.
The Indian Air Force has been regularly deploying fighter aircraft including the Rafale and MiG-29s to carry out operations in eastern Ladakh, where there has been disengagement of troops at two locations including Pangong Tso and Gogra Heights but both sides have not de-escalated.
The Chinese have been amassing troops since last year and carried out aggression in the garb of an exercise after which the Indian security forces retaliated in equal measure and checked the Chinese aggression there.
The Indian Air Force is also continuing to maintain its assets in Leh with a massive upgrade of capabilities in the area.
