New Delhi, 31 May : Satellite images reveal that China has deployed a total of Six (06) J-20 stealth fighter jets 150 kilometers from India’s border in Sikkim. These fighter jets have been positioned at an airport used for both military and civilian purposes.
China has positioned its most high-tech J-20 stealth fighter jets less than 150 kilometers from the Indian border in Sikkim. Satellite images captured on May 27 show the positions of these fighter jets. NDTV has published these images with permission from All Source Analysis, a firm specializing in geospatial intelligence derived from satellite images.
The satellite images show that China has deployed 6 J-20 stealth fighter jets at an airport that serves Shigatse, Tibet’s second-largest city. At an altitude of 12,408 feet, this airport is among the world’s highest. The images also reveal a KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
According to reports, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is aware of the deployment of the J-20 fighter jets. However, there has been no official statement from the Indian government.
In comparison to China’s J-20 stealth fighter jets, India possesses a fleet of 36 French-made Rafale fighter jets. Eight of these Rafale jets are currently in Alaska for high-tech combat practice with the U.S. Air Force (USAF). Notably, the location where the Chinese J-20s have been spotted is less than 290 kilometers from Hasimara in West Bengal, where India has stationed its second squadron of 16 Rafale fighter jets.
This is not the first time China has deployed J-20 fighter jets in Tibet. These jets have been seen in Xinjiang’s Hotan province between 2020 and 2023. However, this is considered the largest deployment of J-20s near Sikkim.
The Chengdu J-20, also known as the Mighty Dragon, is a twin-engine stealth fighter jet that entered service in 2017. Reports suggest that China has already deployed over 250 stealth fighter jets, which are difficult to detect by radar.
China is the third country in the world to actively deploy stealth fighter jets. These jets are equipped with a series of sensors that are periodically upgraded. In the Air Force, stealth fighter jets are seen as ‘super fighters,’ capable of carrying China’s most advanced air-to-air missiles, including the PL-15 missile, which is believed to hit targets from 300 kilometers away.
All Source Analysis Chief Sim Tack notes that China has consistently enhanced its air power capabilities in Tibet and areas near India over the past five years, mainly through the construction of new airports and the upgrading of existing ones. China has also begun deploying aircraft like the J-20 and the nuclear-capable H-6 bomber in these border areas, at least on a temporary basis.
India is also upgrading its surface-to-air missile systems, including the deployment of the long-range Russian-made S-400 missile system, reportedly designed to counter China’s fighter jets at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Courtesy NDTV India
