China has completed the construction of 36 hardened aircraft shelters, along with new administrative blocks and an expanded apron, at its Lhunze airbase in Tibet, approximately 40 kilometres north of the McMahon Line—the de facto boundary with India's Arunachal Pradesh. Satellite imagery from October 17, 2025, analysed by NDTV, reveals the fully built shelters, a stark contrast to earthworks visible in April 2025 images, positioning the base just 107 kilometres from the strategically vital town of Tawang.

This development enables forward deployment of fighter jets, attack helicopters, and drones, drastically reducing response times for the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) during potential border escalations and posing a direct challenge to Indian Air Force operations from bases in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Retired Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, former IAF chief, described the shelters as a clear signal of China's war preparations, noting that ammunition and fuel are likely pre-positioned in underground tunnels. He recalled prophesying during the 2017 Doklam standoff that hardened shelters would eliminate the PLAAF's key vulnerability in Tibet—rapid aircraft deployment.

Air Marshal Anil Khosla, former IAF vice chief, labelled the upgrades a "serious strategic threat", highlighting their role in asset dispersal, protection against precision strikes, and sustained high-altitude operations. The shelters, located 50-150 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), enhance coverage over Arunachal, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh, complicating India's early conflict degradation efforts.

Recent imagery also shows three CH-4 drones on Lhunze's tarmac, capable of high-altitude missile strikes beyond 16,000 feet, underscoring China's growing unmanned capabilities in the region. India's response includes acquiring 31 advanced U.S.-built General Atomics Sky Guardian drones—eight each for the IAF and Army, plus 15 for the Navy—worth $3.5 billion, with deliveries starting in 2029 to bolster intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision strikes. Currently, Indian forces rely on less advanced Israeli Heron and Searcher UAVs. Air Marshal SP Dharkar, another former IAF vice chief, noted that hardened infrastructure is eroding India's traditional terrain-based air operation advantages along the Himalayas.

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This buildup at Lhunze is part of China's broader militarisation, including upgrades at six airbases like Tingri, Burang, Yutian, and Yarkant, featuring runway extensions and support facilities to counter India's 15 major Himalayan bases from Leh to Chabua. Geo-intelligence expert Damien Symon emphasised Beijing's intent to close the air power gap opposite Tawang. Despite disengagement efforts post-2020 Galwan clashes and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's August 2025 Tianjin visit with President Xi Jinping—focusing on trade, flights, and rare earths—ongoing infrastructure races reflect persistent tensions, with the IAF affirming it monitors developments through established mechanisms.

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