China creates combined air defence system along LAC

NEW DELHI: China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has integrated elements of the air force and army to create a combined air defence system for its western theatre command that is responsible for operations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the latest in a series of moves indicating a strengthening of its positions in the region.

The move follows numerous reports of China moving in new military equipment and formations into Tibet and Xinjiang, and bolstering air defence and missile positions and airports on its side of the LAC amid a border standoff with India that began over a year ago. People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that PLA had, for the first time, integrated army air defence units in the air force’s chain of command in the western theatre command to create a combined air defence control system.

This new system was put through its paces during a recent exercise at an unknown location under the western theatre command, which saw army elements jointly training with the air force while command and control was exercised by the air force, the people said. “At least 10 PLA army units under the western theatre command are believed to have been integrated in the reporting chain for sharing inputs on early warning, combined readiness status and exercise participation as part of this new joint air defence set up,” one of the people said.

The Chinese side appears to be bringing all air defence assets into one grid and plugging gaps that can be exploited by the Indian Air Force (IAF).