India Turns Siliguri Corridor (Chicken Neck) into Fortress: Rafales, S-400s Deployed Amid Rising China-Bangladesh Threat

 

The positioning of the S-400 system—renowned for its ability to simultaneously engage multiple aerial targets at ranges exceeding 400 kilometres—is viewed as a calibrated response to intensifying aerial activity by China and Bangladesh near India’s eastern frontier.

(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — In a move laden with geo-strategic significance, India has deployed its cutting-edge Russian-built S-400 Triumf long-range air defence system to the Siliguri Corridor—a narrow, 20–22 kilometre-wide land bridge in West Bengal often dubbed the “Chicken’s Neck” due to its precarious geography.

This critical strip of land forms the only terrestrial conduit between mainland India and its resource-rich but geographically isolated northeastern states, making it one of the country’s most vital and vulnerable military arteries.

The positioning of the S-400 system—renowned for its ability to simultaneously engage multiple aerial targets at ranges exceeding 400 kilometres—is viewed as a calibrated response to intensifying aerial activity by China and Bangladesh near India’s eastern frontier.

New Delhi’s security establishment has grown increasingly alarmed by the frequency and complexity of Chinese and Bangladeshi air manoeuvres along their respective borders with the Siliguri Corridor, interpreting them as probing gestures with strategic undertones.

For decades, the corridor has represented a geographical choke point in India’s national defence matrix, with military planners warning that a well-executed pincer thrust, particularly by China through the volatile Doklam Plateau, could sever the northeast from the mainland within hours.

The nightmare scenario of a bifurcated India has led to a doctrinal shift in India’s Eastern Command, which now prioritises rapid response, multi-domain deterrence, and sustained forward deployment in and around the corridor.

The timing of India’s force posture recalibration coincides with a discernible diplomatic pivot by Bangladesh’s interim administration under Mohammad Yunus, whose government has moved closer to Beijing in both rhetoric and action.

Following the collapse of the pro-India Sheikh Hasina government, the caretaker regime in Dhaka has openly courted investment and defence cooperation with China and Pakistan—two nations New Delhi regards as strategic antagonists.

In a bid to recalibrate its foreign policy footing, Bangladesh under Yunus has actively pursued economic and infrastructure partnerships with Beijing, raising red flags in India’s intelligence and security community.

Particularly unsettling to India are reports of potential joint infrastructure ventures between Dhaka and Beijing, developments that New Delhi views through the prism of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which it has long denounced as a geostrategic entrapment tool.

India has consistently rejected the BRI, warning that it enables the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to embed dual-use infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific, undermining sovereignty and military balance in the region.

These aircraft operate in tandem with legacy MiG fighters stationed at the base, providing layered air dominance and enhancing India’s ability to respond swiftly to any hostile incursion across the corridor.

Further bolstering India’s integrated deterrence posture is the deployment of a BrahMos cruise missile regiment in the region, delivering rapid, supersonic, precision-strike capabilities against ground and maritime targets within a 300–500 kilometre radius.

The Indo-Russian BrahMos missile, co-developed by DRDO and NPO Mashinostroyenia, is widely regarded as the fastest cruise missile in operational service and plays a central role in India’s “cold start” and preemptive strike doctrines.

India has also implemented a multilayered air defence architecture across the Siliguri Corridor, incorporating the indigenously developed Akash medium-range system, SHORAD (Short-Range Air Defence) batteries, and VSHORAD (Very Short Range Air Defence) assets to neutralise low-flying threats.

This integrated air defence grid is designed to detect, track, and intercept incoming aerial platforms ranging from stealth drones to cruise missiles, ensuring constant surveillance and round-the-clock combat readiness.

At the heart of India’s ground-based military presence in the region is the Trishakti Corps, headquartered in Sukna, a formation synonymous with combined arms combat capability and operational excellence.

The JF-17, currently operated by the Pakistan Air Force—including the advanced Block III variant—has been exported to several countries and features Chinese-supplied AESA radar, electronic warfare suites, and beyond-visual-range missile capabilities.

Already strained, the bilateral relationship between India and Bangladesh faced a fresh jolt when reports emerged of a high-level visit by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officials to Dhaka.

The four-day visit by an ISI delegation led by Major General Shahid Amir Asfar was met with indignation in New Delhi, where policymakers interpret such engagements as potential strategic collusion in India’s immediate periphery.

In response to these developments, India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued a carefully worded but firm statement, noting that the government is “closely monitoring all developments in the region” and would respond appropriately to any threats to national security.

“We are vigilant about all regional movements and actions that may affect national security. The Indian government will act decisively as needed,” said ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

India’s recalibration of its defence posture in the Siliguri Corridor reflects not only its growing apprehensions over regional power shifts, but also its determination to harden its eastern front against a potential two-front scenario involving China and Pakistan—both now drawing closer to Dhaka.