Summary
- China deploys J-20 fighter jets near disputed Indian border in Tibet.
- India counters with Rafale jets and S-400 SAMs.
- No imminent escalation between India and China indicated by J-20 deployment.
Satellite images from May 27 have shown China has deployed some J-20 ‘Mighty Dragon’ fifth-generation fighter jets within around 150 kilometers or 93 miles of the disputed Indian border (called the Line of Actual Control). India and China are two giant Asian rivals with a complicated relationship. While they are both founding BRICS members, they have also had territorial border disputes that have been the scenes of deadly clashes in recent years. The J-20 came into service in 2017, and China is believed to have a fleet of around 250 of them.
China deploys J-20s to Tibet
The Chinese J-20s were seen near the small Indian Himalayan mountain state of Sikkim (between Nepal and Bhutan). Sikkim was previously an independent mountain kingdom but was annexed by India in 1975. According to NDTV, satellite images show six Chinese J-20 stealth fighters parked at a dual-use military and civilian airport in the second-largest city in Tibet (Shigatse). A KJ-500 Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft could also be seen at the airport. At some 12,408 feet above sea level, the airport is one of the highest airports in the world.
NDTV also reported that India was countering the J-20 with a fleet of 36 French-built Rafale fighter jets (including some Rafales that had just returned from a military exercise in Alaska). Another Indian squadron of 16 Rafales is 180 miles away. Elsewhere, India has also countered Chinese build-ups near the border by deploying Russian-built S-400 SAMs.
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Simmering Sino-Indian tensions
There is no indication that the deployment represents any impending large escalation of tensions between India and China. This isn’t the first time Chinese J-20s have been seen in Tibet. That said, NDTV also reported, “China has steadily built up its air power capacity in Tibet and other areas near India over the past five years. This has primarily consisted of the construction of new air bases and upgrading the infrastructure at existing air bases.”
In 1962 (when the world was distracted by the Cuban Missile Crisis), China invaded India in a month-long campaign. The conflict saw thousands killed, wounded, and captured before China withdrew back to its starting positions amid Soviet pressure.
Since then, the two countries have agreed not to equip their border soldiers with firearms to avoid unintentional escalation. However, the two have skirmished along the borders in recent years (including in December 2022, when dozens of soldiers were killed). The BBC reported in 2022 that these skirmishes had been fought with clubs, sticks, and stones.
China’s neighbors like India and Taiwan have looked on wearily in recent years as China has rapidly built up its air force into one of the largest in the world. The Chinese Air Force is undergoing a major transition as old Cold War legacy aircraft are replaced by the more capable J-20 (China’s first 5th-gen fighter).