Pakistan’s Skardu Airbase emerged as one of India’s potential targets during Operation Sindoor, according to former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan. His revelation has once again brought the strategically important military base into focus. General Chauhan said the Indian Air Force (IAF) had identified Skardu as one of the additional targets after receiving clearance to strike Pakistan’s Sargodha Airbase. India approved the plan, but bad weather forced the military to change its target at the last moment. The IAF subsequently struck Bholari Airbase instead. During Operation Sindoor, Indian forces targeted several key Pakistani military installations, while the attack on Bholari reportedly caused significant damage to the facility.
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Skardu Airbase Was Among India’s Planned Targets
Skardu Airbase holds importance far beyond its role as a military installation. Pakistan operates the base from Gilgit-Baltistan, close to the Indus River and strategically near India’s Ladakh region and the Line of Control (LoC). Skardu lies roughly 170 kilometres from Kargil and around 100 kilometres from India’s Leh Airbase, giving it considerable strategic value. Pakistan can use the base to support military operations along the India-Pakistan frontier. The facility can accommodate fighter aircraft and heavy transport planes, while hardened shelters at both ends of the runway can provide additional protection for military aircraft. Its location allows Pakistan to maintain an important operational link toward the western approaches to Ladakh, making Skardu a significant component of Islamabad’s military planning.
Skardu’s strategic importance also extends to China’s interests in the region. The airbase lies in an area that provides security and logistical support for infrastructure projects linked to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Any Indian strike on the facility could therefore have affected not only Pakistan’s military infrastructure but also China’s strategic calculations. Beijing already faces security concerns over attacks targeting Chinese nationals and projects in the region. China also acknowledged this year that it provided technical assistance to the Pakistani military during Operation Sindoor. Indian military officials have separately claimed that China supplied real-time intelligence support to Pakistan during the conflict. Against this backdrop, India’s decision to consider Skardu as a potential target could have carried a wider strategic message for both Islamabad and Beijing.
Skardu’s Proximity to Ladakh Makes It a Key Military Base
Skardu also has a long history in India’s military calculations. During the 1971 India-Pakistan War, the Indian Air Force launched an operation against the airbase and targeted its main runway. The IAF used Canberra aircraft along with an An-12 transport aircraft for the mission and carried out the strike during daylight hours. The attack demonstrated India’s ability to conduct operations deep inside Pakistani territory. Skardu again became important during the 1999 Kargil War, when Pakistan used the base as a major logistics and staging centre for its military operations. Pakistani forces used the area to move troops and supplies toward forward positions. Pakistan had also begun shifting additional battalions toward Skardu before the Kargil conflict, a development that later gained importance in assessments of its preparations. The Netflix series Operation Safed Sagar has also highlighted Skardu’s role in supporting Pakistan’s operations during the Kargil conflict.
The latest disclosure about Operation Sindoor provides fresh insight into India’s military planning during the conflict. Although bad weather prevented the IAF from striking Skardu, the base remained one of the targets considered by Indian planners. The force eventually redirected the mission toward Bholari, which became one of the notable targets of the May 10 air campaign. Skardu’s inclusion on India’s target list underlines its importance in Pakistan’s military strategy and its proximity to both Ladakh and Chinese strategic interests. A successful strike could have weakened an important Pakistani military facility while also sending a broader signal about India’s willingness to target infrastructure with strategic significance. As more details about Operation Sindoor emerge, Skardu’s role offers another glimpse into the military and geopolitical calculations that shaped India’s response.
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