Indian Army sets up one of world's highest tank repair facilities near China border

New Delhi: With over 500 of its tanks and infantry combat vehicles deployed in Eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army has created a record of sorts by setting up two of world's highest tank repair facilities in that area to support its operations there.

The Indian Army has set up two armoured vehicle maintenance and repair facilities near the China border in Nyoma and the DBO Sector in that region to at altitudes of over 14,500 feet in the area, which is the world's highest battlefield for tanks and infantry combat vehicles along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.

A large number of tanks and BMP combat vehicles, along with Indian-made armoured vehicles like the Quick Reaction Fighting Vehicles, have been deployed in Eastern Ladakh after the stand-off between India and China started in April-May 2020, post-Chinese aggression there.

"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 creating infrastructure in a big way 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.

Recently, Army Chief General Manoj Pande visited the Medium Maintenance (Reset) Facility for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs), where he saw the unique maintenance facility. Army officials said the new facilities promote enhanced serviceability and mission reliability of tanks and infantry combat vehicles.

The facilities also keep the combat fleet operationally ready even in rugged terrain and challenging weather with temperatures dipping down to minus 40 degrees, the officials said. Staging forward of specialist technical support infrastructure for the AFVs has resulted in higher standards of operational efficiency and battle readiness.

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 borders in the region.

At the time of aggression, China had brought in a large number of infantry, combat vehicles and tanks to unilaterally change the status along the line of actual control there.

The Indian Army responded in a very swift manner and within no time, heavy armoured elements were brought in from the deserts and planes in C-17 transport aircraft to counter the adversary.