Crack team of women military engineers to spearhead project to upgrade LAC airfield

A crew of women officers will spearhead a key project to upgrade an advanced landing ground near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh to a full-fledged base for fighter operations as India steps up infrastructure development along its farthest frontiers to support military operations and counter Chinese infrastructure construction across the contested border where the two countries have been locked in a standoff for more than three years, officials aware of the development said on Friday.

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The upgradation of the Nyoma airfield to support offensive and defensive operations will involve a Border Roads Organisation (BRO) task force led by a woman combat engineer, Colonel Ponung Doming, who will have five women engineers under her command, said one of the officials cited above, asking not to be named. The scope of the work will include extending and strengthening the existing airstrip and building allied infrastructure for fighter operations.

BRO will begin work on upgrading of the Nyoma airfield, located at a height of 13,300 feet above sea level and 23km from the LAC, in a few days after defence minister Rajnath Singh remotely lays the foundation stone of the ₹214 crore project on September 12, said a second official, who also asked not to be named. The foundation stone of the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Nyoma fighter base will be laid on the day Singh inaugurates the BRO’s Devak bridge near Jammu, and dedicates around 90 other infrastructure projects to the nation including roads, tunnels and bridges.

The project is expected to be completed by September 2025, the officials said.