Leh, July 08: China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has constructed underground bunkers for storing weapons and fuel and hardened shelters for protecting armoured vehicles at a key base in the area around Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh, indicating that it is digging in for the long haul in the region. This information comes from recent satellite images.
The PLA base at Sirjap, located amid mountains on the northern shore of Pangong Lake, serves as the headquarters for Chinese troops deployed around the lake.
The base is situated in an area claimed by India and is about 5 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Until the beginning of the standoff at the LAC in May 2020, there was almost no human habitation in the region.
At the time of reporting, there had been no immediate response from officials regarding the satellite images.
The development at Pangong follows earlier satellite images revealing that about half a dozen Chengdu J-20 aircraft, China’s only operational stealth combat jet, had been deployed at its Shigatse base. This base is located approximately 300 km from the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in West Bengal’s Hasimara, which houses a squadron of Rafale jets.
Built during 2021-22, the PLA base at Sirjap includes underground bunkers for storing weapons, fuel, and other supplies. Satellite imagery from the US-based firm BlackSky, which can capture images 15 times a day, shows eight entrances to a large underground bunker and another smaller bunker with five entrances nearby.
The base features several large buildings serving as the headquarters and has also added hardened shelters or covered parking for protecting armoured vehicles from air strikes using precision-guided munitions.
An analyst from BlackSky, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the base as housing an “expanse of armoured vehicle storage facilities, test ranges, and fuel and munitions storage buildings.” The analyst noted that the base has artillery and other reinforced defensive positions connected by a wide network of roads and trenches, which are not visible on publicly available mapping applications.
Located a little over 120 km southeast of the Galwan Valley—the site of the deadly June 2020 skirmish that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops—this PLA base reflects China’s strategic military positioning in the region.
A former Indian Army commander, who has served around Pangong Lake, explained that the PLA’s increased construction of underground facilities is a strategic move. He noted that in modern warfare, targets or facilities can be pinpointed using aerial surveillance and satellites, and that India currently lacks such underground shelters, which are a method of creating “better defences.”
The commander added that without such shelters, weapons and stores are vulnerable to air strikes using precision-guided munitions. While China has advanced in tunnelling techniques, he mentioned that building such facilities does not require advanced technology, only funding and civil engineering skills. He suggested that if India does not make similar investments, it will need to invest in additional air defence equipment.
In addition to developments at Pangong, new satellite images also indicate increased Chinese military activity at the Shigatse air base, a dual-use, high-altitude airport in Tibet Autonomous Region’s second largest city. An April satellite image also showed heightened military activity at the disputed Doklam tri-junction, the site of a 73-day standoff between Indian and Chinese forces in 2017.
Sources report that since the standoff with China began in 2020, India has constructed numerous roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields, and helipads in border areas to enhance logistics support and military mobility. During 2023-24, India’s Border Roads Organisation completed 125 infrastructure projects, including the Sela tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, worth Rs 3,611 crore. This infrastructure development aims to improve living conditions for soldiers, provide better facilities, and protect weapons and equipment in forward areas.
