In a decisive move with major geopolitical implications, India has stationed its most advanced air defence system—the Russian-built S-400 Triumf—along the Siliguri Corridor, a narrow and strategically critical land bridge linking mainland India to its northeastern states.
This slender, 20–22 kilometre-wide corridor, often called the “Chicken’s Neck,” has long been considered one of the most vulnerable and high-stakes chokepoints in India’s military geography. The deployment of the S-400, capable of engaging multiple aerial threats over a 400 km range, is a clear signal from New Delhi: the eastern frontier is no longer being treated as a secondary theatre.
Indian defence planners have historically viewed the Siliguri Corridor as a glaring vulnerability—a potential Achilles’ heel that could, if severed, cut off the entire northeast from the Indian mainland. China’s 2017 standoff with India at the nearby Doklam Plateau was a wake-up call. Now, with the Eastern Command adopting a more assertive stance that emphasises multi-domain deterrence and rapid response, India is transforming this corridor from a liability into a linchpin of deterrence.
In parallel with the S-400 deployment, India has bolstered the region’s air power by stationing a squadron of Rafale multirole fighter jets at Hashimara Airbase, just south of the corridor. Equipped with Meteor air-to-air missiles, SCALP cruise missiles, and cutting-edge electronic warfare systems, the Rafales add a sharp offensive edge to India’s eastern posture.
Meanwhile, India has also activated a regiment of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles in the region, providing rapid and precise strike capabilities against high-value targets up to 500 km away. These systems work in tandem to present a tightly integrated air defence and strike package—a clear deterrent against any potential hostile action.
This military build-up is not occurring in a vacuum. It comes amid heightened aerial activity by both China and Bangladesh along India’s eastern periphery. Indian intelligence has recorded increasingly frequent and complex air manoeuvres near the corridor, many interpreted as tests of India’s air surveillance and response protocols.
For decades, Indian planners have feared a Chinese “pincer” movement through Doklam and allied territory to sever the northeast. That fear has now extended beyond China, to Bangladesh, where recent political developments have dramatically altered the strategic landscape.
Following the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s pro-India government, an interim administration led by Mohammad Yunus has steered Dhaka into closer alignment with Beijing. The new government has aggressively courted Chinese investment, defence cooperation, and even exploratory partnerships with Pakistan—moves that have raised alarm bells in New Delhi.
Most troubling for Indian strategists is Bangladesh’s reported consideration of a Chinese-supported airbase in Lalmonirhat, less than 100 km from the Siliguri Corridor. If established, such a facility would fundamentally alter the regional military balance, giving China a virtual forward operating base near India’s most sensitive geography.
India’s response has been both swift and layered. Alongside the S-400 and Rafales, the defence establishment has established a comprehensive air defence grid across the Siliguri region. This includes:
Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles: India’s indigenous medium-range air defence system, capable of engaging multiple targets simultaneously.
SHORAD and VSHORAD Units: Short- and very-short-range air defence assets designed to counter low-flying threats like drones and cruise missiles.
Integrated Surveillance Networks: ISR systems incorporating radar, satellite, and electronic intelligence to provide round-the-clock monitoring of airspace activity.
This multi-tiered defence umbrella is meant to ensure that no aerial threat—be it a stealth drone or a fighter aircraft—can approach the corridor undetected or unchallenged.
On the ground, India’s readiness is anchored by the Trishakti Corps, headquartered in Sukna. With T-90 Bhishma tanks, elite mechanised infantry, and diversified artillery, the corps is built for high-intensity operations. It routinely conducts live-fire exercises and integrated battle group (IBG) drills simulating conflict scenarios across difficult terrain.
Further strengthening India’s mountain warfare capabilities is the XVII Corps, or Brahmastra Corps, based in Panagarh. Designed specifically for rapid deployment in Himalayan conditions, the corps is structured to launch counter-offensives deep into enemy territory. It includes two infantry divisions, armoured brigades, and dedicated helicopter and air defence support, giving India a potent tool to respond to any aggression along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
India’s eastern alert posture was tested last year when a Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone operated by Bangladesh flew alarmingly close to the Indian border. The drone, reportedly launched from Tejgaon Airbase in Dhaka, entered airspace near Meghalaya and Tripura—sparking a formal protest from India.
Indian military sources confirmed the drone bore the transponder ID TB2R1071 and was part of a routine ISR mission. However, New Delhi sees such missions as more than surveillance—they’re strategic signalling.
Bangladesh has acquired 12 Bayraktar TB2 drones from Türkiye, with six operational. These MALE (medium-altitude, long-endurance) drones represent a leap in Dhaka’s ISR and strike capabilities, and their presence so close to Indian airspace is causing serious concern.
India has responded by reinforcing drone detection and neutralisation protocols in border areas. Military officials have clarified that SOPs prohibit any drone activity within 10 km of the international boundary, and that India reserves the right to engage any aerial object violating that buffer.
In another major shift, Bangladesh is reportedly in advanced talks to acquire up to 32 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets—a Pakistan-China co-developed fourth-generation aircraft. The potential deal has unsettled Indian defence circles, particularly given the JF-17’s operational history with the Pakistan Air Force and its latest Block III upgrade featuring an AESA radar and long-range air-to-air missiles.
If the acquisition proceeds, it would not only deepen Dhaka’s military relationship with two of India’s principal adversaries, but also potentially alter the air power equation in the eastern sector.
India sees the JF-17 deal as a direct provocation, and some officials have privately indicated that New Delhi may consider recalibrating its military exports and technology-sharing with other South Asian nations as a counter-leverage strategy.
The India-Bangladesh relationship was further strained recently after reports emerged of a four-day visit to Dhaka by a delegation from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), led by Major General Shahid Amir Asfar. Indian intelligence interpreted the visit as an attempt to forge deeper strategic ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh—potentially at the expense of India’s security interests.
While Bangladesh’s interim government downplayed the visit as a “routine diplomatic engagement,” Indian officials were not reassured. The Ministry of External Affairs issued a sharply worded statement, emphasizing that New Delhi was “closely monitoring all developments in the region” and would take “appropriate measures to safeguard national security.”
What’s unfolding in the Siliguri Corridor is emblematic of a broader challenge facing India: the specter of a two-front conflict, with China and Pakistan potentially acting in concert and Bangladesh inching toward their orbit.
While a shooting war may not be imminent, the strategic trends are clear. China’s footprint is growing across South Asia, and traditional buffer states like Bangladesh are now arenas of great-power competition.
India’s deployment of the S-400 and its broader militarisation of the Siliguri Corridor represents not just a tactical response, but a long-term strategic pivot. It is India hardening its eastern flank and preparing for a future where deterrence must be visible, credible, and ready.
As one senior Indian military official put it, “The northeast is not just a geography. It is a lifeline. And lifelines must be defended—at all costs.”
