New Delhi [India], Aug 31: Days before the Chinese Army tried to carry out fresh transgressions near the Southern bank of Pangong Tso lake, the People’s Liberation Army’s Air Force (PLAAF) redeployed its J-20 fifth-generation fighter aircraft near Ladakh for operational deployment and they are still carrying out extensive flying there.
On the intervening night of August 29-30, the Indian Army noticed the movement of Chinese troops and thwarted an attempt by them to transgress into new areas near the southern bank of the Pangong Tso lake east of Chushul in Ladakh area.
“The J-20 has been deployed by the PLAAF at the Hotan air base and they have been flying close to the Indian territory near Ladakh and adjoining areas. The deployment of strategic bomber aircraft is also still on by the Chinese,” government sources told ANI.
The move by the Chinese Air Force to redeploy their latest and most capable aircraft at air bases near Ladakh comes soon after India started rapidly operationalising the Rafale fighter jets, five of which have joined the Air Force and three to four more will join in a couple of months, the sources said.
The J-20 and their other aircraft have been carrying out extensive operational flying taking off from the different air bases opposite Ladakh territory mainly including Hotan and Gar Gunsa.
The Chinese had earlier deployed the J-20s at these air bases. However, these were shifted to some other bases before being redeployed.
Earlier today, Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand in a statement said: “On the night of August 29/30, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.” (ANI)
