ndia could take out Qinghai-Tibet Railway to cripple PLA

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway — which runs between Xining in western China's Qinghai province and Lhasa in Tibet — could become a potential target for the Su-33MKI fighters of the Indian Air Force if a territorial dispute between China and India escalates into a full-scale war, according to the Kanwa Defense Review operated by Pinkov also known as Andrei Chang, a Canada-based journalist specializing in military issues.

Earlier this year, Beijing and New Delhi agreed to withdraw their respective forces from the disputed area of Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh border region between the two countries. However, tensions remain as an official border was never drawn following a conflict in 1962. 

Even though China's military is more powerful than India's, the People's Liberation Army has several weaknesses near the contested border, the report said. China only has two main air force bases in the region — Gongga and Shigatse — and since they are very close to each other, the Indian Air Force could easily neutralize the Chinese fleet there in a short period of time. As for the other four air force bases in Tibet, none of them are able to accommodate advanced PLA fighters.

According to the Kanwa Defense Review, China's second weakness is that the PLA units in Tibet rely too much on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway for supplies. Once the railway is cut off, it would be extremely difficult for the PLA to find a new supply line. There are 260 bridges and two tunnels within Tibet and India's Mirage 2000 and Su-33MKI fighters would able to attack most of them with precision guided munitions.

The only advantage China has in a potential air war with India is that it could launch a missile attack against the Indian Air Force bases in Assam, the report said, adding that New Delhi is also inside the range of China's DF-15 ballistic missiles, which are operated by the Second Artillery Corps, the PLA's strategic missile force in the area.