NEW DELHI – The Indian Air Force is flexing muscles and operationalisingits northern bases along Chinese border areas.

In one such move the IAF largest transport aircraft, the C-17 Globemaster,on Tuesday landed at Arunachal Pradesh’s Tuting airfield which is close tothe Chinese border.

The landing of the US-manufactured aircraft is seen as part of the airforce’s move to strengthen its overall operations in the strategically-keyborder state.

“The C17 Globemaster carried out a historic landing at Tuting AdvancedLanding Ground. The mission was executed flawlessly owing to itssuperlative performance and excellent flying skills of pilots,” said an airforce spokesperson.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklamfrom June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a roadin the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The face-off ended on August 28.

Sources said China has been keeping its troops in north Doklam andsignificantly ramping up its infrastructure in the disputed area.