Home South Asia

China Deploys J-20 Stealth Fighters Near Indian Border; PLA Continues To Boost Its Military Capabilities – Reports

China first deployed its J-20 fifth jets near the LAC at the height of the conflict in 2020 with India. The J-20s were reportedly spotted flying from the Hotan airbase in China's Xinjiang province, where strategic bombers and other fighters were also stationed.

The Army Chief of India, General Manoj Pande, said last month that the primary issue with China remains the resolution of the boundary dispute, but China has intended to keep it “alive”. In a move that corroborates these remarks, Beijing has once again upped the ante at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).


 

Dependent On Critical ‘Aircraft Material’, US & Europe Do Usual Business With Russia Despite Ukraine War

According to recent reports, the Government sources have revealed that the PLA Air Force has around two dozen frontline combat aircraft stationed at its Hotan air base in the Eastern Ladakh sector, including the J-11 and the J-20 stealth fighters jets.

“The Chinese earlier used to maintain detachments of MiG-21 class fighters there, but they have now been replaced with more capable and sophisticated aircraft and in larger numbers,” they said. The J-20 is China’s most advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.

This development comes after a senior US military commander said that the defense infrastructure being built by China along the Line of Actual Control was alarming.

“The (Chinese) activity level is eye-opening. Some of the infrastructures that is being created in the western theatre command is alarming”, said General Charles A Flynn, Commanding General, United States Army Pacific, while talking to reporters said.

China objected to his statement. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian called the statement of a US military officer on Ladakh shameful and criticized the US.

It is pertinent to note that it was recently revealed that China was building a second bridge over its side of the Pangong Tso Lake through which it could quickly mobilize troops and transport armored columns in the event of a military confrontation with India.


Breaching European Air Defenses — A ‘Mysterious Aircraft’ Violated NATO Airspace & Its Crew Vanished

Furthermore, the Chinese Air Force is constructing new airfields close to the Indian territory that will allow them to conduct flights at lower altitudes. The People’s Liberation Army’s Air Force (PLAAF) has spread all along the Line of Actual Control with India, from Ladakh in the north to Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast.

In addition to Hotan, the Indian agencies are reportedly also monitoring the PLAAF’s Gar Gunsa, Kashghar, Hopping, Dkonka Dzong, Linzhi, and Pangat airbases in Xinjiang and Tibet. Both Xinjiang and Tibet are under the Chinese Western Theatre Command that overlooks the LAC with India.

In recent years, the Chinese PLAAF has been improving these bases by building hardened shelters, extending runway lengths, and deploying greater manpower to carry out more operations.

Satellite images had earlier revealed that a massive heliport was under construction south of Golmud’s existing airport, on the northern tip of the Tibetan plateau. A total of 63 hangars were visible, as well as the construction of barracks and support structures. The port has apparently become operational now.

Should India Be Worried?

While the PLA Air Force has deployed its J-20 fighter jets close to the LAC, the Indian side has increased its preparedness and positioned its fleet of Sukhoi-30MKIs, MiG-29s, and Mirage-2000s at the forward air bases to deal with any potential escalation with the PLAAF.




j-20
File Image: J-20

Last year, as its position in Ladakh underwent a tectonic shift, the Indian Air Force deployed a complete offensive and defensive force to confront China’s “Anti Access Area Denial (A2AD)” policy as per defense establishment sources.

The assets deployed by the IAF have typically included cargo planes like the AN32, C-130J, and C-17, as well as helicopters like Apaches and Chinooks and fighter jets like the Rafale, SU-30MKI, Mig-29s, etc. According to the sources, the deployment also included surface-to-air missiles, radars, and heightened monitoring with UAVs.

The Chinese Air Force had first deployed its J-20 fifth-generation jets close to the Indian territory at the height of the conflict in 2020. The J-20s were reportedly spotted flying from the Hotan airbase in China’s Xinjiang province, where strategic bombers and other fighters were also stationed, according to government sources.

However, this time, the deployment of J-20s appears to have been confirmed.

The J-20 aircraft deployed near the LAC  is the most advanced fighter jet in the Chinese arsenal, and being a stealthy jet means that it could evade the watch of Indian radars and missile defense systems. India, on the other hand, is well equipped with French-origin Rafale fighter jets.

Read More

Exit mobile version