On the eastern banks of Pangong Lake in Tibet, about 110 km from one of the tense points of the 2020 border clashes, construction has been going on rapidly. Recent satellite images show that China is building a new air defence base that includes command and control buildings, barracks, vehicle sheds, radar sites, and areas for storing ammunition.

Experts say the most striking part of this new base is a series of covered missile launch sites that seem to have sliding roofs for Transporter Erector Launcher vehicles, which can carry, lift, and fire missiles.

Intelligence experts believe these protected shelters could be meant to hide and safeguard China’s long-range HQ 9 Surface to Air Missile systems.

Researchers from the United States-based geo-intelligence firm AllSource Analysis were the first to identify this design. They also spotted another similar site in Gar County, about 65 km from the Line of Actual Control, directly across from India’s upgraded Nyoma airfield.

India Today’s Open Source Intelligence team got independent satellite images from the United States-based space intelligence company Vantor. These images confirmed that the suspected missile launch bays have sliding roofs, each big enough to fit two vehicles.

Images taken by Vantor on 29 September showed at least one launch site at Gar County with its roof open, possibly revealing the missile launchers underneath.

“The covered missile launch positions feature a roof with hatches, allowing the launchers to remain concealed and protected while firing through the hatches when opened,” AllSource Analysis said in a note released on Wednesday. “This configuration reduces opportunities to detect the presence or exact positions of TELs within the complex and shields them from possible strikes,” they added.

While such shielded launch positions are new along the India-Tibet frontier, China has built similar structures earlier on its military bases in the disputed parts of the South China Sea.

Geospatial researcher Damien Symon first spotted early signs of this second facility near Pangong Lake in late July, though the purpose of the covered launch sites was not known back then.

AllSource Analysis experts also pointed out another detail — the presence of wired data connection systems that appear to link different parts of the HQ 9 air defence system to its main command centre. Some sections of the Pangong Lake base are still being built.