Chabua Air Force Station Upgrade: Major Infra Developments at key airbase near China border

To keep a close eye and counter any Chinese intrusion or intervention at the border areas, the Indian Air Force has been constantly working towards bettering its infrastructure at key air bases. One of the air bases that is seeing some significant upgrades is the Chabua Air Force Station in Assam’s Dibrugarh.

This forward base near India’s eastern frontier with China has, over the past few months, gotten a noticeable makeover, recent satellite imagery has shown. From adding hardened aircraft shelters to making additional runways, the Indian Air Force has been working continuously at the upgrades.

In addition to the infra upgrade at the key air force stations, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has also been developing roads and bridges along the boundary with China. These upgrades are of an even bigger importance as China has deployed thousands of soldiers on the Line of Actual Control since April 2020.

What are the latest developments in Chabua Air Base Upgrade?

Latest satellite imagery revealed key infrastructure upgrades at the Chabua Air Force Station. There has been a rapid development activity in 2025 with multiple new hardened aircraft shelters now taking shape on site. The satellite imagery shared by open-source intelligence analyst Damien Symon also shows an enhanced runway infrastructure.

As part of Chabua Air Base upgrade, there is now an improved taxiway, apron, new earthworks have been developed near the support area.

Why Chabua Air Force Station upgrade is important?

Chabua air base upgrades by the Air Force are a reflection of India’s broader strategy to counter China’s expanding military footprint along the Himalayan frontier, including the eastern region. Notably, the Chabua Air Force Station is located near the Line of Actual Control, which has been a pain point since the deadly India-China clash in 2020.

Keeping the importance of the region in view, both India and China have deployed thousands of military personnel along the LAC.

What are India and China doing to resolve their border dispute?

China and India have fought a few wars over the years, with the 2020 skirmish being the latest. Both the countries were in 1962 engaged in a bloody war over the question of control over Arunachal Pradesh. The control has been with India since but China continues its territorial claims over the region, referring it to as “South Tibet.”

Earlier this year in May, India had dismissed the renaming of several regions in Arunachal Pradesh by Beijing.

However, India and China held a rare meeting in June on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, where officials held in-depth discussions on the need to maintain peace and tranquility along the Indo-China border. Both the countries are continuing diplomatic and military talks and recently celebrated 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between them. Further, the resumption of the Kailash and Manasarovar Yatra after 5 years is also seen as a big step towards resuming ties.