IAF lands C-130J aircraft at night on Kargil airstrip: What makes night-landing so significant?

In 2013, the C-130J landed at the world's highest airfield at Daulat Beg Oldie in Ladakh's Depsang Valley.

The Indian Air Force made the first night-landing of the C130-J transport aircraft on the Kargil airstrip in the Ladhakh region on January 7.

The mission, characterised by a terrain masking enroute, demonstrated the IAF's capabilities in challenging environments. It also marked the first time a night landing was carried out on an airstrip near the Line of Control (LoC).

"In a first, an IAF C-130 J aircraft recently carried out a night landing at the Kargil airstrip. Employing terrain masking enroute, the exercise also dovetailed with a training mission for the Garuds," IAF posted on X.

In a first, an IAF C-130 J aircraft recently carried out a night landing at the Kargil airstrip. Employing terrain masking enroute, the exercise also dovetailed a training mission of the Garuds.#SakshamSashaktAtmanirbharpic.twitter.com/MNwLzaQDz7

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) January 7, 2024

The C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, manufactured by the US aircraft maker Lockheed Martin, is an advanced tactical airlifter. It is used by the IAF for special operations and humanitarian crises. The night landing of the C130J is significant for the IAF in many ways.

Situated amid the Himalayan terrain at an altitude exceeding 9,700 feet, the Kargil strip is located at the south of Line of Control (LoC). It has become a crucial location for the Indian Air Force since 2020. Both the C-17 Globemaster III and the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft have been conducting numerous sorties to facilitate the transportation of troops and military equipment to forward bases in this challenging region.

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It is located between Dras on the west and Batalik on the east. Notably, Dras and Batalik both were major flashpoints during the Kargil war. The airstrip suffered damage from bombing by Pakistani troops in 1999. The IAF has reportedly flown An-32 aircraft out of Kargil but it didn’t have night landing capability. The IAF used C-130J to airlift commandos signifying that troops can be airlifted at night. The IAF used surrounding hills to conceal their movement from enemies. The Kargil airstrip is surrounded by hills ranging from 14,000 to 15,000 feet.

“The uniqueness of the Kargil ALG is that it is at about 10,500 feet and the approach is unidirectional. It is surrounded by hills, which gives limited space for manoeuvring. Hence, pulling off a night landing is very difficult,” a source told The Print.

Terrain Masking is used by pilots to evade hostile radar by blocking the line of sight of radar with natural or man-made terrain. By carefully manoeuvring through the terrain, an aircraft may use terrain masking to hide its movements. In addition to the use of night vision goggles and infrared thermal imagery for landing, the use of terrain is crucial. In the case of C-130J, the IAF used the surrounding hills to conceal their movement. The airstrip is surrounded by hills ranging from 14,000 to 15,000 feet. The exercise "dovetailed" a training mission for the Garuds.

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According to reports, the sensors on board the C-130J, which is meant for undertaking special operations and landing at uneven and short runways like the ALGs, made it possible for a safe landing.

In 2013, the C-130J landed at the world's highest airfield at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in Ladakh's Depsang Valley, according to NDTV.  The air distance between the Karakoram Pass and the DBO Advanced Landing Ground was approximately 10km. The DBO airstrip was activated in 2008 when an An-32 landed after 43 years.

The IAF operates 12 C-130J aircraft, stationed at the 77 Squadron at Hindan and the 87 ‘Wings of Valour’ Squadron at Panagarh.