China setting up emergency Airbase near Ladakh.

May 30, 2022

After readying Hotan airbase for operating H-20 stealth bombers, China is now setting up an emergency airbase in Tashkurgan district of Xinxiang opposite eastern Ladakh which is likely to be operationalised by September.
This will be the first Chinese-built high-speed airbase located in the Tajik Autonomous Region of Tashkurgan, Kashgar Province.
The Chinese intention of making these strategic bombers an area specific asset is clear from Beijing’s decision to designate the Hotan base as a testing base for these stealth machines before being deployed in the area to take on targets in Afghanistan, Balochistan or Ladakh.
Earlier, the H-20 bombers were slated to be inducted in 2025. However, the timeline has been compressed which signals a shift in China’s approach in the region and the larger geopolitical space.
According to a 2020 Pentagon report on Chinese military power, the H-20s are estimated to have a range of 5,281 miles and lift capacity of 10 tons of munitions.