Daulat Beg Oldi DBO, Fulcrum of the Karakorams

Operationalising the world’s highest airfield

On 23 July 1962, well over half a century back, an Indian Air Force Fairchild C-119G Packet piloted by Squadron Leader (later Air Marshal) CKS Raje and fitted with an auxiliary jet engine fitted on its dorsal fuselage, made a historic landing at Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), the highest airstrip in the world. Located at an altitude of nearly 16,800 feet, DBO is at base of the Karamoram Pass and a mere 8 km south and 9 km west of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) being of great strategic importance.

Not that the general populace of India was then really aware of this place or was really interested in matters military. Such indifference and elected representatives of India was soon enough to result in a military drubbing at the hands of an expansionist Chinese Army in 1962. 68 years later DBO remains even more strategically relevant, indeed is considered as the fulcrum of India’s defence in this theatre.

The Karakoram range which includes some of the highest mountains in the World, is about 500 km in length and considered as the most heavily glaciated part of the world outside the polar regions. This also includes the Siachen Glacier, in contention between India and Pakistan since the mid-1980s. The Karakoram is bounded on the east by the Aksai Chin plateau, northeast by edge of the Tibetan Plateau and on the north by the river valleys of the Yarkand and Karakash rivers beyond which are the Kunlun Mountains. About centre of the Karakoram range is the Karakoram Pass, which was part of the historic trade route between Ladakh and Yarkand, on the base of which is Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO). Back to 1962: The Fairchild C119G Packet of No.19 Squadron IAF making the pioneering flight to DBO was powered by two Wright R-3350-85 radial engines of 2,500 h.p. each plus a HAL-built Orpheus 701 booster turbojet of 4,700 lb.s.t. Fortysix years later, history was repeated when on 31 May 2008, an Antonov An-32 of No.48 Squadron, powered by two AI-20M turboprop engines, of 4195 ehp each landed at DBO, with Group Captain Suryakant Chafekar at the controls. Quite unknown to most public, that the then AOC-in-C Western Air Command was on board the Packet in 1962 and again on the An-32 in 2008.

This article is about Daulat Beg Oldi, then and now, and how that extremely hazardous operation was accomplished then – and continues today.

Daulat Beg Oldi: its strategic and operational relevance

Daulet Beg Oldi is a small, nondescript campsite just below the Karakoram Pass. Travellers of lore along the ancient Silk Route may well have rested at DBO on their arduous journey to Constantinople from China, and on their return journey. Nesting at base of the Karakoram Pass, DBO has immense strategic implications, with the Indian Army present there over the past half century. Defences are adjacent to the Chip Chap river, with the Karakoram pass just ten kilometers away, as the bird flies. The landscape is bleak, of light brown earth, blinding white snow in the upper reaches, the area bereft of any wildlife. The Indian troops at DBO (which have been reinforced from a rifle company in the past to reportedly now a Brigade Group) must be maintained by air, all the year-round. After China occupied Tibet in 1950, they brought their frontiers to India for the first time in over a millennium. Boundary delimitation became the primary issue of disagreement and from 1960, grew into becoming a formidable dispute as the Government of India soon discovered that the Chinese had occupied the Aksai Chin and constructed a highway connecting Tibet with Xinjiang through the Aksai Chin. In 1962 the Indian government decided to establish Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in forward locations that could serve to maintain border posts in the inhospitable and high altitude locations at the region. DBO became the northernmost and the highest such ALG in the Himalayas.

C-119 Fairchild Packet with Jet-pack

Orpheus 701 jet engine, which powered the HAL Gnat, was thus chosen and precise data recorded during operational trials at Palam. Extrapolations using the recorded data indicated that with such a jet pack, the C-119 could land and take off from DBO, with some useful load. After the first C-119 landings and the 1962 border war soon after, DBO did not receive any more fixed-wing aircraft landings for the next four decades. In 1996, an earthquake had damaged the DBO airstrip on which the Packet had landed 34 years earlier, thus restricting operations to only by helicopters or supply drop by An-32s. Then in 2018, the IAF’s Western Air Command considered reactivating DBO, landing of An-32s there. Why was this necessary ? Firstly, its strategic position remained critical. Second, expeditious induction and extraction of troops from DBO was vital and necessary. Thirdly, landing by fixed wing aircraft such as the An-32 at DBO would supercharge the morale of troops who were virtually isolated during the severe winter months. Lastly, in the case of engine failure during a supply drop and if crossing the mountains on one engine was not possible, validation of An-32 landings at DBO had to be proved.

From the Archives: (then Gp Capt) Shivdev Singh who had earlier raised and commanded No.12 Squadron RIAF with C-47 Dakotas and was later Station Commander AFS Agra where No.48 Squadron with C-119G Packets was raised, is seen in this evocative picture with a camel at Chushul in the 1950s.

No.48 Squadron ‘Camels’ were charged with this challenge. The squadron had a storied history, raised on Dakotas on 19 November 1959 at Srinagar, later converting to Packets and then, in 1985, transitioning to the Antonov An-32. The ‘Camels’ had been flying the Ladakh routes for more than 20 years, and were fondly regarded as the Army’s ‘Himalayan Lifeline.’ The Squadron had also been involved in numerous operations, the wars of 1962, 1965 and 1971, IPKF operations in Sri Lanka, Operation Cactus, Operation Safed Sagar, Operation Parakram, as well as relief operations following the Bhuj earthquake in 2001 and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. The Soil Engineering & Material Testing Division of the College of Military Engineering at Pune visited DBO to assess if the landing strip would be safe for An-32 landings and found that the soil was not compact enough. Engineering solutions to make the runway safe for An-32 operations were then taken up, notwithstanding the challenges of loose soil, short runway, the menacing mountains and the proximity of enemy troops on the LAC and LOC. The Fairchild C-119 Packet has had many uncharitable things said about it, both by the USAF and the IAF. However, it was a gem of an aircraft. Of unusual configuration, with its twin booms, powered by the most powerful piston aero-engines extant, with four blade propellers, during its heydays, at any given time between 0400 hrs and 2300 hrs, an Indian Air Force Packet was airborne somewhere in India. The garrisons in Ladakh subsisted and flourished because of the Packets and till the An-12s arrived in 1961, they, along with the C-47 Dakota, were an aerial lifeline to Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. But, vibrations of the propellers were awful ! Sitting in the cargo hold, in line with the engines, the noise and vibrations truly made one wonky by the end of a flight. However, the paratroopers loved the Packet. Exit was sweet and steady, with minimum tumble, and assured deployment of the parachute. So it was in keeping that it a Packet should be the first to land at DBO – and also prove a point. The Packets were finally phased out from the IAF in 1985 and replaced by the ubiquitous (and also noisy) An-32, with its powerful turbo-props generating 5180 eshp at sea level. Its vibrations matched those of the Packet, the propeller noise snuffing out any attempt to speak, while the whine of the jet is well beyond permissible decibels! The engines are located on top of the wings for good ground clearance, having a swept up tail for easy loading, and the An-32 was perhaps the most appropriate replacement for the IAF’s C-119. Today, An-32s fly all over Indian skies just as the Packets had done during their time. However, the essential difference is that the An-32 flies much faster than the Packet, climbs much higher and is fully pressurised. Truly a worthy successor.

Crew and Aircraft Selection

How the IAF allot tail numbers to various aircraft types is a mystery to most of us. It is rumoured that the initials of engineering officers or logistics officers involved in the technical discussions and actual procurement are usually adopted. In 1962, a C-119 Packet with tail number BK 511 was selected to pioneer the landing at DBO. It was a well tested aircraft had done many flights in and out of airfields in Ladakh, the engineers had tirelessly (and lovingly) finetuned its Cyclone 3500 and Orpheus 701 engines. At the controls was Sqn Ldr CKS Raje, with Sqn Ldr Phillipose as second pilot, Wg Cdr Mukherjee as navigator and W/O Yadav as Flight Engineer. Adding to this robust and self-assured crew were Air Commodore Ananthanarayanan – and Air Vice Marshal Erlic Pinto, then AOC-in-C, Operational Command, later re-designated Western Air Command. It was decided not just to land BK 511 at DBO, but because of the prevailing politico-military imperatives, 32 soldiers were also to be on board along with the AOC-in-C. In those days, technology and simulation was primitive compared to that today. So the Packet parameters had to be worked out, based on what had been experienced during landings and take-offs at Leh, Thoise, Fukche and Chushul, with intelligent extrapolation, to ascertain if BK 511 would stop on the strip and then takeoff safely. The reverse thrust on the Packet was very effective, the landing speed would be about 110 knots IAS, the gross weight well below the max 72,000 lbs, while the single engine performance with the jet pack was definitely a safety factor. Forty-six years later, the choice for trial landing with the An-32 fell on Gp Capt Suryakant Chafekar, CO No.48 Squadron. With him were Wg Cdr Mahesh Aserkar, Wg Cdr Ray and JWO Ram Niwas Verma. This time around Air Marshal Pranab Barbora, AOC-in-C WAC, was on board for this resurrected landing at DBO. Actually, it looked exactly as it had 46 years earlier. The particular aircraft selected for the DBO landing was K2755. Extrapolation of performance graphs to 16,500 feet altitude and for the short runway length revealed limitations. Since the auxiliary power unit (APU), used for starting main engines, would not perform above 14,000 ft, the engines would have to be kept running while on ground, fuel for which was to be factored. Tyre pressure was reduced for the soft soil conditions and that the landing speed would be about 280 km/hr was kept in mind. This was much higher than the usual speed of 200 km/hr, and higher than Max Braking Speed of 250 km/hr. The higher True Air Speed (TAS) because of the high altitude increased the turn radius of the aircraft. DBO runaway remained unprepared and ‘kutcha’, and a bumpy landing followed by an equally bumpy take-off was expected. The An- 32, being heavier than the Packet, raised further questions: what damage would occur to the soil? How would the Single Isolated Wheel Loading (SIWL) impact the airstrip? High mountains surround DBO on all but the eastern side, and after takeoff in a southerly direction, an immediate right turn is the only way out To keep weight as low as possible, it was decided that K2755 would take-off from DBO and land at Thoise for refuelling. Finally, strong winds with mountain waves, unpredictable weather, sudden gusts on the ground remain perennial problems in the hilly regions and these have to be studied and catered for. For Chafekar and his crew, these were the factors that would determine how they executed the trial landing and even more so, the “trial take-off”.

DBO landings: then and now 

On 23 July 1962, Squadron Leader Raje had gently lifted BK-511 off from Srinagar on a crisp Kashmiri morning with AVM Pinto and 32 soldiers on board. One wonders what these jawans were told about the trial landing, and how they were as much pioneers as the Packet and its crew were. A right turn towards Zoji La, and thence along the roaring Indus past Dras, Kargil, Nimo, Leh, Thoise, the Tri Junction, past Siachen base and into the DBO bowl. Those who have not flown into Ladakh, will find it difficult to picture the speed with which the sun ascends. The author has had the privilege of flying into Ladakh for more than 15 years on flights originating from Chandigarh and Sarsawa. The colours are vivid, the sky a beautiful azure, snow-capped peaks quickly turning from white to gold and then white again. Raje and his crew were soon planning their approach and landing, listening intently for the slightest change in engine noise, willing the engine instruments to remain steady and true. From 22,000 they descended to 18,000 ft, Raje circled DBO with its cross airstrips at nearly 17,000 ft and made a dummy approach to finally come in for that moment of truth. As he recalls, “We were now on finals with wheels and flaps down, the edge of the airstrip rushing up towards us, I throttled back, touched down, reverse thrust applied and I wondered whether we would stop within the length and we did”. Bless the Packet ! In typical understated exhilaration, the crew heard, “Good show” from their AOC-in-C. BK-511 was the first aircraft to land at 16,500 ft in the Himalayas, unmatched anywhere. Engines were kept running, soldiers disembarked, hot tea was served by the local Army unit, and just to make the event as routine as possible, a few sick jawans were loaded onto the Packet for the return journey. Full power opened on all three engines, brakes released and BK-511 lumbered forward not accelerating as desired because of the soft ground but engine parameters were normal and as she hit hard surface, the aircraft sprang forward, speed built up, Raje lifted her gently, turned right almost immediately, to avoid the hill in front and smoothly started climbing back towards Srinagar. Aviation history had been made by the Indian Air Force. But this was July 1962, cameras were prohibited during forward area operations, satellite imagery was non-existent, digital photography was 30 years away, visuals of that momentous event are sadly unavailable with anyone – just memories and written words. (Actually ‘The Society for Aerospace Studies’ has these rare B+W bromides, provided by the late Gp Capt JC Malik, later PRO AF: Ed).

Four decades later

Four decades later, Group Captain Chafekar and crew were to repeat this historic landing, event this time in an An-32. However, Chafekar had carried out five trial flights in and around DBO. Circuit patterns were checked, terrain clearances from all directions were proven, single engine performance during approach and landing were simulated, escape routes in emergencies were determined. The ground reconnaissance showed that the airstrip, 2200 metres long and 53 metres wide, had an unpaved surface with loose pebbles at many places, the strip had no markings, and the chosen parking area needed strengthening. At many places PSP sheets would have to be hammered in to obviate a tyre burst. Landing would then be possible after the engineers repaired and strengthened the air strip and the parking area, something that 235 Engineering Regiment of the Army assured would be done. Accordingly, the centre line was painted, jerry cans installed and numbered as the Distance To Go Markers (DTGM) along the western edge, drained engine oil liberally sprayed and at times poured to bind the soil and harden it.

On 31 May 2008, K-2755, along with a second An-32 took off from Chandigarh. To reach DBO within acceptable temperatures and get as much power out of the engines, Chafekar had planned take-off from Chandigarh at 0450 hrs. The second An-32, piloted by Air Commodore Nair AOC Chandigarh, was a last minute addition. This was for several reasons. Firstly, to orbit at about 500 ft above DBO and monitor activity from across the LAC. Secondly, to be able to report any emergency with the trial landing, and finally, to record on video the approach and landing for posterity and training of aircrew. Forward area weather reported cloudy skies but fit for landings and air drops. It is pertinent to appreciate that weather forecasting facilities in Ladakh are still quite unreliable despite the technology available. It is the first flight from Chandigarh, called ‘ Weather Recce’ that transmits the actual conditions being experienced and it is the captain of the weather recce who clears further flights for landings or supply drops. Both An-32s were now airborne in quick succession, climbing into a grey-navy blue sky over Chandigarh, heading north to the Himalayas. Bright sunshine greeted the aircraft as they made their way past Tso Moriri, Kar Tso, across the Indus heading northwards, east of Leh, over Khardung La, at Tri Junction, past the terminal moraines of Siachen glacier and into the DBO bowl. With the landing gear now extended and flaps down, Chafekar and his crew brought K-2755 on final approach for RW 01 at DBO. As calculated, the rate of descent was twice that at Chandigarh. The aircraft roared across 01 dumbbell under his steady hands at 280 kmh, throttles were chopped and exactly 0614 hours, history had been re-written when the 27,000 kgs An-32 touched down at DBO.

Air Marshal PK Barbora then stepped out and sweets presented to the Army unit on the ground in full appreciation of a most magnificent job done. Barbora would later tell the media that, “This place is so high and bereft of oxygen, my cigarette lighter refused to light up”. But after about 15 minutes it was time to return. Chafekar had kept the engines running, and now lined up on 19 dumb-bell, opened full power which generated just 65% of sea level torque, brakes off, a huge cloud of dust churned up and a not too encouraging acceleration ensued. Air Speed Indicators register late at altitude and is well known to pilots, but Chafekar wanted a speed to lift off, he got it, and gently eased K-2755 off DBO, and like Raje had 46 years earlier, immediately turned right to avoid the hill in front and climbed away, with Nair now leading the way to Thoise ALG.

Annabattis at DBO

Jubilations were in order and were indulged in. What is pertinent is that a scientific, truly professional methodology was prosecuted in planning and execution of the trial landing of K-2755 at DBO. From the initiation of the idea of activating DBO for An-32s, through reconnaissance, ground inspections, rebuilding of the air strip, establishing a monitor aircraft overhead, selecting the crew and extrapolating performance graphs, everything was planned and deliberated. For the Army jawans at DBO, the ‘Annabattis’ as they have christened the An-32s, were now right at their doorstep instead of just flying overhead and dropping loads by parachute. Soon regular flights would be flown into DBO, confirming that reinforcements could be inducted swiftly and assuredly, a morale booster for the Army and strategists. For the student of matters military, this trial landing was to be noted not as an aggressive posture, but as a confirmation of India’s consistent policy of defending its territory with certainty and determination. DBO is not a launching pad for offensive operations as some may aver, is not so. But maintaining DBO by operating An-32s to and from these indeed a fulcrum for the defence of that sector, which is what the Indian Air Force ensures in support of the Indian Army.

Representative image of an IAF Antonov An-32

Article by Gp Capt A G Bewoor VM (Retd).