India reopened the 'Fuk Che' airbase in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir -- the second such airbase that was not in active use till recently for Indian Air Force (IAF) -- close to both the Chinese and Pakistani borders, media reports said.
The IAF had reopened in May the Daulat Beg Oldi Advanced Landing Grounds (ALG) close to the Line of Actual Control with China and the Line of Control with Pakistan -- the first such in four decades with the landing of an AN-32 aircraft carrying the Western Air Command chief Air Marshal P K Barbora.
The reopening of Fuk Che, close to Aksai Chin and Siachen Glacier, to operate larger military aircraft was formalized Tuesday morning with the landing of IAF's AN-32 transport aircraft, marking a shift in airbase's operational profile.
The apparent reasons for reopening of the new airbases was for "providing transport facility to tourists" to the region, particularly in the wake of India successfully conducting a civilian trekking expedition to the forbidding Siachen Glacier last month.
The 72-km-long Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, was opened for civilian adventure tourism last year, despite Pakistan's vociferous protest.
By increasing civilian and tourist movement in the region, India wants to strengthen its claim over the territory along the 110-km-long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) with Pakistan.
However, the new ALGs could additionally be used for military purposes to transport troops, equipment and supplies to defense establishment and bases in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Reopening of Fuk Che and Daulat Beg Oldi ALGs is also seen as a step to create more access points for the Indian defense forces to Siachen and surrounding areas in Jammu and Kashmir.
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