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Akbar Novruz

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China has increased the operational deployment of its frontline J-20 "Mighty Dragon" stealth fighter jets at airbases near the Indian border, according to newly released satellite imagery, AzerNEWS reports citing NDTV.

The images, sourced from Vantor and published by NDTV, show 11 J-20 fifth-generation fighter jets stationed across two strategic airbases in late June and early July, marking what analysts describe as China's largest known concentration of the aircraft opposite India.

Satellite imagery dated July 9 shows seven J-20s parked at Hotan Air Base in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The dual-use military and civilian facility is located about 389 kilometers northeast of Leh and 245 kilometers from the Indian Air Force's Daulat Beg Oldie airfield in northern Ladakh.

A second image shows four J-20s deployed at Damxung Air Base in Tibet's Lhasa prefecture, approximately 344 kilometers northwest of Tawang in India's Arunachal Pradesh.

According to Sameer Joshi, a former Indian Air Force fighter pilot and co-founder of aerospace and defense firm NewSpace, the deployments indicate that China's use of fifth-generation fighters from high-altitude bases has become routine.

"Seven J-20s at Hotan and four at Damxung confirm that fifth-generation operations from high-altitude bases facing India are now routine for the PLAAF, not signalling," Joshi told NDTV.

He added that the development increases the urgency for India to strengthen its counter-stealth detection capabilities, integrated air defense network and long-range strike systems.

What makes the deployment of the J-20 significant are its stealth characteristics which enable it to dominate contested airspace. With a miniscule radar signature, on account of its advanced stealth shaping, the J-20 retains a significant edge over the IAF's current generation of fighter jets, including the French-built Dassault Rafale, which are non-stealth platforms.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has steadily expanded the deployment of advanced aircraft along China's western frontier in recent years, amid continued military tensions with India following clashes along the disputed Himalayan border.