China's PLA building bunkers, hardened shelters close to Pangong Lake

Development at Pangong comes after satellite images from earlier this year revealed about half a dozen Chengdu J-20 stealth combat jets deployed at China's Shigatse base

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, the Hindustan Times (HT) reported on Sunday based on satellite images.

According to the report, the PLA base at Sirjap is located amid mountains on the northern shore of the Pangong Lake and serves as the headquarters for Chinese troops deployed around the lake. The base has been reportedly built in an area claimed by India and is located about 5 kilometres (km) from the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

 

The report added that till the start of the standoff at the LAC in May 2020, there was almost no human habitation in the region.

The national daily said that at the time of filing the story, there had been no immediate response from officials regarding the satellite images.

The development at Pangong comes after satellite images from earlier this year revealed that about half a dozen Chengdu J-20 aircraft, which is China's only operational stealth combat jet, had been deployed at its Shigatse base, which is located about 300 km from the Indian Air Force (IAF) base in West Bengal's Hasimara, which houses a squadron of Rafale jets.

What have the Chinese built at Pangong?

Built during 2021-22, the PLA base has underground bunkers for storing weapons, fuel and other supplies, the HT report said, citing images provided by US-based firm BlackSky, which can capture images 15 times a day with its satellites.

According to the report, an image captured on May 30 clearly shows eight entrances to a large underground bunker, while another smaller bunker, and its five entrances, is located near it.

Not only does the base possess several large buildings that serve as the headquarters, the report says it now also has hardened shelters or covered parking, which experts told the national daily are for protecting armoured vehicles from air strikes using precision-guided munitions.

Speaking to HT on condition of anonymity, one analyst from BlackSky said that the PLA base houses an "expanse of armoured vehicle storage facilities, test ranges and fuel and munitions storage buildings".

The analyst also told the national daily that the base currently has artillery and other reinforced defensive positions, which have been connected by a wide-reaching network of roads and trenches. The analyst added that these facilities are not visible on publicly available mapping applications.

Where is the PLA base located and why does it matter?

The PLA base is reportedly located a little over 120 km southeast of the Galwan Valley, which was the site of the deadly June 2020 skirmish that resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops.

Speaking to HT on condition of anonymity, a former Indian Army commander, who has served in the region around the Pangong Lake, explained that the PLA's increased construction of underground facilities made military sense.

According to him, any target or facility can be pinpointed using aerial surveillance and satellites in today's battlefield. He added that India does not have such underground shelters on its side at present and that tunnelling was the only method of creating "better defences".

The Army commander also explained that in the absence of underground shelters, weapons and stores would be very vulnerable to air strikes conducted with precision-guided munitions.

He added that while the Chinese were pioneers in tunnelling activities, building such facilities did not require advanced technology. Instead, all that is needed is funding and civil engineering skills. He went on to tell the national daily that if similar investments were not made on the Indian side, then the country would have to invest in additional air defence equipment.

According to the national daily, along with the developments at Pangong, new satellite images also show evidence of heightened activity by China's military at the Shigatse air base, which is a dual-use, high-altitude airport in the Tibet Autonomous Region's second largest city.

At the same time, a satellite image from April also suggested increased Chinese military activity, including the presence of a sizeable number of military vehicles nearby, at the disputed Doklam tri-junction, which was the site of a 73-day standoff between Indian and Chinese forces in 2017.

How has India responded so far?

Citing sources familiar with the matter, the national daily reports that since the standoff with China began in 2020, India has constructed a number of roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields, and helipads in its border areas to enhance logistics support and military mobility.

During 2023-24, India's Border Roads Organisation reportedly completed 125 infrastructure projects, including the Sela tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, worth Rs 3,611 crore.

According to the report, the infrastructure development on the Indian side is focussed on improving the living conditions for soldiers, along with improved facilities for them. It is also focused on protecting weapons and equipment in forward areas.