INDIAN BORDER DEFENSES AKSAI CHIN AND NILANG-BARA HOTI AREAS INDIA-CHINA FRONTIER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T04759A009500010028-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 2, 2002
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: September 1, 1969
• Content Type: MEMO

A /IENglease 2002/08/06: CIA-R?P78T047, 9500010028 3
PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION MEMORANDUM
INDIAN BORDER DEFENSES
AKSAI CHIN AND
NILANG-BARA HOTI AREAS
INDIA-CHINA FRONTIER
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SEPTEMBER 1969
copyl 2 O
6 PAGES
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Declass Review by NIMA/DOD
GROUP 1: EXCLUDED FROM
AUTOMATIC DOWNGRADING
AND DECLASSIFICATION
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INDIAN BORDER DEFENSES, AKSAI CHIN AND NILANG-BARA
HOTI AREAS, INDIA-CHINA FRONTIER
Analysis of photography keveals 22 Indian military
facilities in eastern Jammu ana as ir, including 13 border posts/forward camps
and nine rear support bases. The facilities are dispersed along a northwest-
southeast line paralleling and west of the international boundary claimed by
Communist China. The area is served by a major airfield and four auxiliary
landing strips, and most of the facilities are connected by motorable roads.
Several Chinese military camps and outposts are located within an
approximately 5,000-square-mile area of eastern Jammu and Kashmir known as "Aksai
Chin." According to the international boundary claimed by India, these forces
are illegally occupying a portion of Jammu and Kashmir.
Eight additional Indian military facilities and a possible radar site are
located in the northern frontier area between Jammu and Kashmir and Napal. The
Indian and Chinese boundary claims in this area closely agree and only one
Chinese facility has been identified within the territory claimed by India.
The Indian facilities in the two border areas appear defensive in nature
and designed to prevent further encroachment by Communist China. There is no
photographic evidence of a Chinese military buildup nor any other indication of
a change in the status quo.
This report provides photographic documentation of the disposition of Indian
forces in eastern Jammu and Kashmir and along the northern India-China border
(Figure 1).
FIGURE 1. GENERAL LOCATION MAP, SOUTH ASIA
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Ladakh Area, Eastern Jammu and Kashmir
Ladakh is the eastern portion of Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir and
l:i. sat the southeastern fringe of the Karakoram mountain rage. It is bordered
on the north and the east by China's Sinkiang Province and Tibet.
There is a major border disagreement between China and India in this area,
with China claiming the Aksa_i_ Chin region (Figure 2 . China reportedly began
construction of a major road through Aksa:i Chin to connect Sinkiang
Province with Tibet, and began occupying the area Both the road net-
work and the Chinese facilities have been photographically confirmed.
I I revealed that Indian forces have been dispersed to the west
of T Fe ara oram mountains and generally parallel the boundary claimed by the
Chinese for a distance of approximately 1:30 nautical miles (nm). The Indian
f.:,cilities include 22 military camps and outposts, a major airfield, four small
landing strips, and two drop zones. The facilities consist of approximately 100
barracks, 50 ammunition storage buildings, 500 tents, 800 small support build-
ing,s or tents, 25 administration buildings, five probable helicopter pads, at
last 175 probable vehicles, and 85 miscellaneous associated buildings.
The major military com _Lex in the Ladakh area is centered around Leh
25X1 Airfield his complex is the main support facility for the
smaller camps and outposts along the border and contains three major barracks
areas, a general supply area, and two large ammunition storage areas (Figure 3).
Most of the camps and outposts are connected by roads, although old caravan
trails still serve some of more remote regions. One of the two primary roads
extends from a, point approximately 4 nm from the China border in the Indus River
Valley (32-41N 079-27E) northwest along the river, through the Leh Complex, to
w..thin 25 nm of the India-Pakistan cease-fire line (34-17K 076-42E). The other
primary road extends southwest from the first, approximately 25 nm southeast of
D-h (33-49N 077-49E), and although not photographically confirmed for its entire
1_rngth, is probably the major artery into southern Jammu and Kashmir.
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 JAMMU & KASHMIR
(PAKISTAN)
?++~- INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY CLAIMED
BY INDIA IAPPROX ALIGN)
INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY CLAIMED
BY CHINA (APPROX ALIGN)
ROAD.
,...... FRAIL,' '
o . INDIAN ARMY CAMP
? INDIAN OUTPOST
t CHINESE; ARMY, CAMP
CHINESE OUTPOST
A AIRFIELD/LANDING STRIP
E
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CHINA
FIGURE 2. MILITARY ACTIVITY, LADAKH AREA, JAMMU AND KASHMIR (INDIA)
TOP SECRET
NPIC M-7432
75 500010028-3
No.
10
Name
Sasoma Military
Outpost
20 Panamik Military
Outpost
Thoise Airfield
4. Hundar Military
Camp
5. Deshkyk Military
Outpost
6. Leh Military
Complex
Koru Military
Camps
I Coordinates BE No.
345328N 0772910E
344725N 0773225E
343905N 0772320E
34361I0N 0772655E
3432110N 0773350E
34o818N 0773140E
335430N 0774510E
8. Tangtse Military 34023ON 0781010E
Complex
9. Chushul Military
Encampment
10. Phobrang Military
Outpost
11. Chang Chenmo
River Military
Area
12. Chang Chenmo
Outpost
13. Pshi Military
Camp
14. Dongjes Chan
Military Camp
15. Pongunagu
Military Camp
16. Khanlagyal
Military Camp
17. Kiari Military
Camp
180 Chumatang
19. Chushul Landing
Strip
20. Chushul Military
21. Chushol Airfield
22. Nyoma Military
Camp
23. Chushul Military
Camp South
24. Chushul Military
Installation
25. Fukche Airfield
26. Koyul Military
Barracks
335805N 07824o5E
311.0 320N 0182611OE
341527N 0784257E
341805N 0785640E
334950N 0774930E
3337o5N 077462oE
332605N 0775105E
330750N 0774745E
332845N 078o81oE
332150N 0781835E
334iOON 0782800E
333600N 0783900E
333305N 0784325E
331205N 0782645E
330850N o785looE
331111-ON o7857o5E
325615N 0791300E
32534ON 0791208E
None
None
Description
11 bldgs/tents
8 bldgs
7090' x 155` graded earth
runway, serviceable, No
facilities
None 16 bks and 13 tents
None
1 bks and 14 bldgs/tents
10450' x 150 concrete and
and blacktop runway,
serviceable, 23 admin
bldgs, 39 bks, 405 associ-
ated bldgs, 274 tents, 52
ammo star bldgs, 175
vehicles (Figure 3)
None 20 bks, 180 tents, 173
bldgs, 50 bldgs/tents,
motor pool, and 98 vehicles
None 1400 bldgs/tents, 2 open
stor areas, 3 poss heli-
copter pads, 73 vehicles,
25 poss PA/trailers
None Road-served gun emplace-
ment
None 4 bks and 4 tents
None
12 bldgs/tents,drop zone
None 9 bldgs/tents,drop zone
None 45 bldgs/tents
None 25 bldgs, 27 prob tents
None 25 bldgs, 27 prob tents
None 60 bldgs/tents
None 190 bldgs/tents, 1 prob
helicopter pad, 10 poss
vehicles
None 50 bldgs, 20 tents, 1
helicopter pad
None 40001 x 140' runway,
unserviceable. No
facilities
None 25 bks, 1 admin, 18 stor
bldgs
None 5500' x 100' runway,
serviceable, surface
material unknown. Facili-
ties are dismantled
None 16 bldgs/tents
None
None
None
27 bldgs, 1 vehicle
12 bldgs, 1 vehicle
10,000 x 180' graded
earth runway, serviceable,
3 poss ammo stor, 6 bldgs
28 bldgs
Table 1. Installations in the Ladakh Area, Jammu-Kashmir
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LEH AMMUNITION
ISTORAGE AREA I
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L'TGURF 3. I Ii MILI'i.A Y COMFi i,X, LL`,l)AKH /v F EA, JAMMU A1VD KA:".HM LEA (~ u' /?
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Nilang-Bara Hoti Area, Northern India/
China Border
The Nilang-Bara Hoti 'corder area
is located along India's northern
frontier between Jammu and Kashmir and
Nepal. Although India and China have
not agreed on an exact demarcation,
the boundaries claimed by both coun-
tries generally follow the crestline
of the Himalaya mountain range
(Figure 4).
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revealed seven
military complexes, a small border
outpost (Figure 5), and a possible
radar site dispersed in the vicinity
of the border. The facilities con-
tain approximately 75 barracks, 500
support buildings, 750 buildings/
tents, three probable helicopter pads,
2 5X1 and at least 28 probable vehicles.
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2 5X1 The largest complex in the area
is the Joshimath Brigade Headquarters,
(Figure 6), located 30
nm southwest of the border and
opposite three main mountain passes
from China. It is joined to four of
the other military complexes by an
interconnecting road network which
probable originates in Dehra Dun,
headquarters of the 14th Infantry
Division.
NPIC Project
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FIGURE 4. MILITARY ACTIVITY, NILANG-BARA HOTI BORDER ARIA, INDIA TIBET BORDER
BE NO.
Description
1. Sirjagma Military 32030ON 0783650E None 28 bks, 67 bldgs, and a
Areas pass helicopter pad
2. Giabong Military 31450ON 0783300E None 315 bldgs/tents
Camp
3. Harsil Military 310215N 0784530E None 105 bldgs/tents
Camp
4. Badrinath 304430N 0792950E None 80 bldgs/tents,
pass
Military Camp helicopter pad,
-)rob vehicles.
and 10
5. Langpiar 305215N 0795005E 8 bidgs (Figure 5)
ost
Border Out
p
6. Joshimath Brigade 303koON 0793400E
400 bldgs, poss
helicopter
8
Hqs
vehicles
pad, and 1
{hi; ure 6)
7. Joshimath 30313ON 0793330E None 4 unidentified s
tructures/
Possible Radar objects
Site
8. Gopeshwar 302415N 0791920E None 46 bks, 13 bldgs
and 130
Military Area b1d, ; s/tents
9. Dang Military 301315N 0784615E None 119 bldgs/tents
Area
Table 2. Installations in the Nilang-Bara Hoti Border Area
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TIBET
(CHINA)
INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY
CLAIMED BY INDIA
(APPROX ALIGN)
/ - Y INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY
CLAIMED BY CHINA
~~^+ (APPROX ALIGN)
ROAD
TRAIL
INDIAN ARMY CAMP
INDIAN OUTPOST
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FIGURE 5. LANGPIAR BORDER OUTPOST, INDIA/TIBET BORDER AREA
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FIGURE 6. JOSHIMATH BRIGADE ITEADQUARTERS
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