Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh witnesses an exercise by integrated troops of all arms and services in Super High Altitude area in Eastern Ladakh (ANI)

NEW DELHI: With an eye firmly on China, the IAF reopened the Vijaynagar ALG (advance landing ground) in Arunachal Pradesh for military aircraft on Wednesday, even as the Army wrapped up an operational alert exercise in eastern Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).The “all-arms integrated” exercise in a “super high-altitude” area near Chushul in eastern Ladakh, which witnessed participation by tanks, artillery guns, drones, helicopters and troops as well as para-drops by IAF aircraft, interestingly was called “Changthang Prahar (assault)”. Changthang is a plateau in western and northern Tibet that extends into southeastern Ladakh.While the exercise conducted at an altitude of over 12,000-feet was not a major one in terms of the manpower and equipment deployed, the Army’s top officer in Jammu and Kashmir Lt General Ranbir Singh expressed “full confidence” that the Northern Command, which looks after both the LAC and Line of Control with Pakistan, “will continue its legacy of excelling in combat, should a conflict be forced upon the nation”.“With the induction of new weapon systems and high-tech equipment, the capability and lethality of the Indian Army is progressively improving every day,” he said, asking the troops to remain vigilant and maintain a high order of operational readiness.A major combat exercise called “Him Vijay” will be held by the Army in Arunachal Pradesh, which will see the force testing its new integrated battle groups in mountain warfare in conjunction with the IAF, next month. It will take place around the time Chinese President Xi Jingping visits India for the second informal summit with PM Narendra Modi, as was earlier reported by TOI.The IAF on Wednesday also landed an AN-32 aircraft at the Vijaynagar ALG, which is not connected with any motorable road, to re-establish military transport aircraft connectivity at this easternmost hamlet of India.Apart from the ALGs in Eastern Ladakh (Nyoma, DBO & Fukche), the IAF has activated six of them in Arunachal- Pasighat, Mechuka, Walong, Along, Ziro and Tuting- over the last few years for fast mobility of troops and supplies to remote border areas.Officials said the resurfaced runway at Vijaynagar, which was jointly inaugurated by Eastern Air Command chief Air Marshal R D Mathur and Eastern Army Command chief Lt-General Anil Chauhan, will also assist in effective management of the border with Myanmar and facilitate launch of joint operations for “the defence of the Vijaynagar salient”.“The movement of large transport aircraft to and from this airfield will also act as a catalyst for the development of the area and facilitate movement of the locals,” said an official.