India sets up world's highest tank repair facility to counter China in Himalayas

Indian Army has set up two of the world's highest tank repair facilitiesto support its operations amid fourth year of bilateral friction with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Over 500 tanks and infantry combat vehicles have been deployed in Eastern Ladakh.

The Indian Armed forces have set up two armoured vehicle maintenance and repair facilities near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Nyoma and Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sectors. These sectors are located as high as 14,500 feet above the sea level, making it the highest battlefield for tanks and infantry combat vehicles along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.

A large number of tanks and BMP combat vehicles as well asIndian-made armoured vehicles like the Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles, have been deployed in Eastern Ladakh after the stand-off between India and Chinain April-May 2020.

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"The tanks and infantry combat vehicles have been deployed in these super-high-altitude areas, where it is very difficult even to get them back for maintenance and repair,” Indian Army officials told ANI.

"To help sustain the armoured vehicle operations in the region, we have set up these Medium Maintenance (Reset) Facilities at Nyoma and near KM-148 on the DS-DBO Road in the DBO sector. These are the two main areas where tank and ICV operations are focussed in the eastern Ladakh sector," they added.

The Indian Army has been expanding border infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China for housing its tanks, including the T-90 and T-72, the BMPs and the K-9Vajra self-propelled Howitzers, in the high-altitude areas where temperatures are extremely low in winter.

Army Chief General Manoj Pande on May 11 visited the Medium Maintenance (Reset) Facility for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs), where he saw the unique maintenance facility.

The facilities have been built to keep the combat fleet operationally ready in the rugged Himalayan terrain and challenging weather with temperatures dippingto minus 40 degrees.

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India and China have been engaged in a standoff in the eastern Ladakh region for the past four years and have deployed around 50,000 troops each near the Line of Actual Control.

(With inputs from agencies)