International geo-intelligence experts analyzed photographs taken by NDTV from Maxar over a week and identified at least 11 portals or shafts dug into the rock on both sides of the river valley.
The pictures show massive construction activity over the past few months. This is a possible attempt to protect heavy weapons and troops from airstrikes and artillery.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar dismissed China’s recent move to claim Indian territory by including Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai China in its new ‘standard map’.
Jaishankar told NDTV, “China has released maps of areas that are not part of it. This is their old habit. Releasing maps with parts of India will not change anything. Our government is very careful about this. “It is clear that it is . Our territory. By making absurd claims, the territory of other countries does not become yours.
Experts see this move by China in Aksai China as a threat to reduce India’s advantage.
Sameer Joshi, CEO of leading Indian drone start-up NewSpace Research and Technologies, said, “In the years since the Galwan conflict, the Indian Army has effectively increased its offensive fire vectors, particularly long-range tubes and rocket artillery. China’s decision to encroach on the hills is a Directly linked to India’s greater offensive capabilities. Massive construction activity, including the widening of bunkers, tunnels and roads, is being undertaken to mitigate this clear and present threat, which the Indian Army has imposed as a doctrine of Chinese deployment in Tibet. “
The Indian Air Force operates several frontline airbases against China on the Ladakh front, while Srinagar and Awantipora are traditionally IAF fighter bases. The Indian Air Force is also considering extending the runway at the air landing ground at Nyoma, which is located at an altitude of 13,700 feet near Pangong Lake. The expansion of the runway at Nyoma will allow the Indian Air Force to deploy fighter jets less than 50 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control with China.
Sim Tak, chief military analyst at Force Analysis, which provides data and analysis on armed conflicts, said, “It is clear that China is hardening its military presence in Ladakh against possible artillery and air strikes at a time of full scale military escalation. .” We can see what are likely reinforced command positions and underground equipment storage facilities. Such facilities greatly enhance China’s ability to continue operations and limit hostilities in the event of an armed conflict in Ladakh.”
Several times and reconstructions of the site in December 2021 show that the location was identified as a key staging post during the height of the India-China confrontation in Ladakh, when Chinese troops entered Indian territory on the Line of Actual Control. There were many intrusions. . The same area has now been completely transformed due to massive construction activity.
Photographs also show that earth has been raised around the bunkers to provide additional protection from direct attacks. The entrance and exit areas have a special fork design, which is intended to reduce the effects of pressure from shelling.
Brahma Chelani, one of India’s most authoritative observers, says, “China’s construction of permanent bunkers and other fortifications in Aksai China reflects its overriding principle, indicating no intention to end the extended military standoff with India.” The construction activity in Aksai by China, in fact, reflects China’s construction of new permanent military structures in eastern Ladakh and other border areas stretching from Madhya Pradesh to the Arunachal-Tibet border.”
While India and China have tried to reduce the threat along the Line of Actual Control by establishing no-patrol zones. The high-altitude Depsang plains are a major source of concern for New Delhi, as the Chinese military has been holding back Indian troops there. Before 2020 these were the patrol routes of the Indian Army.
While military talks to reduce tensions may continue, China’s decision to invest in military complexes near the Line of Actual Control suggests it is going for the long haul. Jeff Smith, director of the Asian Studies Center, who saw the photos in the report, said, “Even though Beijing may have irreversibly damaged its relationship with India, it faces significant headwinds with the economy, increased hostility with the U.S. remains and remains committed to a more aggressive LAC strategy despite rising disputes in the Western Pacific region.”
In May 2020, Indian and Chinese troops clashed at several locations along the Line of Actual Control in northeastern Ladakh, resulting in the most violent clashes since the 1962 war. On 15 June 2020, 20 Indian Army personnel, including the commanding officer of an infantry battalion, were killed in a hand-to-hand encounter in Galwan Valley. The actual number of Chinese deaths is believed to be much higher than the four deaths officially acknowledged by Beijing, with investigative reports suggesting that at least 38 Chinese soldiers were killed in the incident.
Since the 2020 conflict, India has significantly accelerated road and tunnel construction in the Ladakh region and is in the process of modernizing and optimizing high-altitude airfields. Significantly, India has completed the construction of the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi (DSDBO) road, which connects Leh to the sensitive Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) post near the LAC. The Indian Air Force flies transport aircraft for DBOs. New road access meant that bases and troops stationed in sensitive areas could be maintained by both road lines, reducing travel time from two days to six hours. A new tunnel is also being constructed on this route.