The Indian Air Force on Friday successfully landed an AN-32 transport aircraft at the Nyoma Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in Ladakh region.
While helicopters have been landing at the ALG, this is the first time a fixed-wing aircraft has landed at the compacted Nyoma airstrip. Group Captain S.C .Chafekar touched down the AN-32 at 6.25 a.m. on the airstrip, which is located at an altitude of 13,300 feet and is 23 km from the Line of Actual Control.
Air Marshal N.A.K. Browne, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, and Lieutenant-General P.C. Bharadwaj, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, were on board.
After deliberating on all aspects and carrying out aerial and ground reconnaissance, the IAF came to the conclusion that the ALG could be developed for fixed-wing operations as well, a Western Air Command spokesperson said.
Challenging task
The challenging task of developing the ALG to the standards required for fixed-wing operations was undertaken by the Engineer Regiments of 14 Corps.
Friday’s development marks the culmination of a joint effort by the IAF and the Army to enable the former to operate in the inhospitable terrain of the Leh-Ladakh region in support of the latter.
The development of Nyoma under extremely difficult working conditions and hostile weather was yet another step towards enhanced collaboration between the two Services, a release said.
It would also ensure that movement in the area continued when road traffic got affected during the harsh winters.
The landing comes just 15 months after an AN-32 landed at Daulat-Beg-Oldie, the highest airfield in the world, situated at an altitude of 16,200 feet.
