The Chinese government is developing air defence infrastructure on the eastern bank of Pangong Lake in Tibet. It is located nearly 110 kilometres from the site that became a flashpoint between the Indian Army and the Chinese Army at the border in 2020.
Satellite images reveal that China is constructing control buildings, munition storage facilities, radar positions, barracks, and vehicle sheds.
According to a report published by India Today, experts are of the view that the images show structures resembling missile launch positions, which are believed to have retractable roofs for Transport Erector Launcher (TEL) vehicles capable of elevate and firing missiles.
Defence experts believe that the structures could provide protection for China’s long-range HQ-9 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems.
Researchers from the US-based geo-intelligence firm AllSource Analysis identified a replica of this complex at Gar County, which is located almost 65 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
This build-up follows Beijing’s broader campaign to modernise and expand its nuclear and conventional missile capabilities, a trend accelerated since 2021 after the discovery of large-scale missile silo fields in Gansu and Inner Mongolia.
The U.S. Department of Defense’s 2024 report predicted that China could amass 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, with the new Golmud facility likely to house the DF-26, a missile capable of both nuclear and conventional strikes over a range of 4,000 km.
Satellite observations show rapid progress at the site, with multiple interconnected launch zones typical of road-mobile missile brigades, emphasising mobility and survivability. Analysts estimate the Golmud base could host 24 to 36 missile launchers, mirroring other key PLARF installations.
Local sources and defence observers have also noted frequent military exercises in the Golmud region between 2024 and 2025. Such drills, coupled with the expanding infrastructure, indicate that the new brigade is nearing full operational capacity, possibly designed for high-altitude warfare and rapid regional deployment, as cited by Phayul.
