The latest satellite imagery of the region showed that the new bridge over Pangong Tso is nearing competition. The bridge is being built in Khurnak, the narrowest part of the lake.

Damien Symon, a satellite imagery expert, posted on X: “Imagery from Pangong Tso shows the new bridge is nearly ready, with its surface recently asphalted (blacktopped). The bridge boosts the Chinese forces’ mobility in the area, providing quicker access to conflict zones and Indian positions around the lake.”

In 2020, India dominated the southern banks of the Pangong Tso through a deceptive deployment. Specialized elements of the Indian Army were inducted to outflank China’s People’s Liberation Army on the night of 29 August, dominating at least four locations claimed by both sides near the southern bank of the Pangong Tso.

The new bridge will help China in reaching these Indian-dominated areas at short notice, should the need arise.

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The Centre for Strategic and International Studies, in a report in 2022, took account of the exhaustive infrastructure building of the region boasting a significant PLA presence.

“At its center are headquarters and support buildings, which are flanked by a bevy of trenches and revetments for storing and securing equipment. On the south side are numerous shelters for weapons—likely artillery and anti-aircraft systems. The northern portion shows a full company of armored personnel carriers (APCs), as well as vehicle shelters and additional weapons positions,” read the report done under the China Power project.

The headquarters near Pangong Tso will serve as “a new node connecting troops at the lake with military authorities elsewhere in the PLA Western Theater Command, headquartered thousands of kilometers away.

“The facility’s considerable armament of equipment and weaponry could prove critical in a future skirmish or conflict with India. The APCs and other vehicles stationed there could rush troops to key locations along the lake, and the facility’s howitzers and air defense weapons could be called upon to hold or advance PLA positions,” the report contends.

Pangong Tso – The Bone Of Contention

Pangong Tso is a long, narrow, deep, and landlocked lake located at a height of 14,000 feet. The lake is about 135 kilometers long and is 6 kilometers wide at its broadest point.

The lake freezes in winter and can sport ice skating and polo. The 19th century’s legendary Dogra general Zorawar Singh is said to have trained his soldiers and horses on the frozen Pangong Lake before invading Tibet.

India has named its indigenous Light tank after this legend, and the tanks will be deployed in the region as well.

The lake lies in the path of the Chushul approach, one of the main approaches that China can use for an offensive into Indian-held territory. During the 1962 war, China launched its main offensive from here.

In 1999, as the Indian Army moved its unit from here to take part in operations against intruders in the Kargil region, China built 5 km of road inside Indian territory along the lake’s bank.

The 1999 road added to the extensive network of roads built by the Chinese in the area, which connects to the G219 Karakoram Highway. One of these roads gave the Chinese military a peak into the Indian position on the northern flank of the Pangong Tso.