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Indian Air Force
Ensign of the Indian Air Force
Nabha Sparsham Deeptam
"Touch the Sky with Glory"
Headquarters New Delhi
History and traditions History of the Indian Air Force
(established 8 October 1932)
Personnel Marshal of the Indian Air Force
Chief of the Air Staff
Indian Air Force ranks and insignia
Aircraft Current Indian Air Force aircraft
Historical Indian Air Force aircraft
Installations Bases

The Indian Air Force currently operates seven Air Commands. Each Command is headed by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the rank of Air Marshal.

The Air Force currently has over 60 air bases all over India. These are grouped into 7 commands viz. Western Air Command at Delhi, Eastern Air Command at Shillong, Central Air Command at Allahabad, Southern Air Command at Thiruvananthapuram(Trivandrum), South Western Air Command at Gandhinagar, formerly at Jodhpur, Training Command at Bangalore and Maintenance Command at Nagpur.

There are a number of newer air bases being built as well, in line with India's strategic doctrine. The Indian Navy has some separate air bases for its aviation wing. The International Air Command operates only one air base currently, which is the Farkhor Air Base, in Tajikistan.[1]

Western Air Command is the largest Air Command. It operates sixteen air bases from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and a couple of Air Bases in Uttar Pradesh. Eastern Air Command operates fifteen Air bases in Eastern and North-eastern India. Central Air Command operates seven Air Bases in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and surrounding states of central India. Southern Air Command's tasks include protecting the vital shipping routes. It operates nine air bases in Southern India and two in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. South Western Air Command is the front line of defence against Pakistan, this important Command operates twelve air bases in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

List of air stations[]

Unit details are from Scramble.nl[2]

Base ICAO Runway Elevation Geographical coordinates State/Territory Units
Western Air Command
Adampur AFS VIAX 13/31 775 ft / 236 m 31°25′48″N 75°43′12″E / 31.43°N 75.72°E / 31.43; 75.72 (Adampur AFS) Punjab 8 Wing, 47 Sqn, 223 Sqn
Ambala AFS VIAM 12L/30R
12R/30L
900 ft / 274 m 30°22′14″N 76°49′4″E / 30.37056°N 76.81778°E / 30.37056; 76.81778 (Ambala AFS) Haryana 7 Wing, No. 3 Sqn, 5 Sqn and 11 Sqn
Amritsar AFS VIAR 16/34 755 ft / 230 m 31°42′28″N 74°47′57″E / 31.70778°N 74.79917°E / 31.70778; 74.79917 (Amritsar AFS) Punjab 1 FBSU
Awantipur AFS VIAW 12/30 5,400 ft / 1,646 m 33°55′12″N 75°01′12″E / 33.92°N 75.02°E / 33.92; 75.02 (Awantipora AFS) Jammu & Kashmir 8 FBSU
Bhatinda AFS VIBT 13/31 700 ft /213 m 30°13′48″N 74°57′07″E / 30.23°N 74.95194°E / 30.23; 74.95194 (Bhatinda AFS) Punjab 34 Wing, No. 17 Sqn
Chandigarh AFS VICG 11/29 1,012 ft / 308 m Chandigarh 12 Wing, 25, 48 Squadrons
Halwara AFS VIHX 13/31 790 ft / 241 m Punjab 9 Wing,
Hindon AFS VIDX 09/27 700 ft / 213 m Uttar Pradesh 28 Wing, 77 Squadron, 131 FAC Flight, 181 Flight
Leh AFS VILH 06/24
07R/25L
07L/25R
10,682 ft/ 3,256 m Jammu & Kashmir 21 Wing, AF
Palam AFS VIDP 09/27
10/28
776 ft / 237 mts Delhi 3 Wing
Pathankot AFS VIPK 01/19 1,017 ft / 310 m Punjab 18 Wing, 26, 108 Squadrons
Sarsawa AFS VISP 09/27 891 ft / 272 m Uttar Pradesh 30 Wing, 117 HU, 152 HU (Mi-17)
Siachen Glacier AFS 22,000 ft / 6,706 m Jammu & Kashmir
Sirsa AFS VISA 05/23 650 ft / 198 m Haryana 45 Wing, 21 Squadron
Srinagar AFS VISR 13/31 5,458 ft / 1,664 m Jammu & Kashmir 1 Wing, 51 Squadron
Udhampur AFS VIUX 18/36 1,950 ft / 594 m Jammu & Kashmir HQ AOC J&K, IAF, 39 Wing, 132 FAC Flight, 152 HU
Eastern Air Command
Agartala AFS VEAT 18/36 48 ft / 14 m Tripura
Darbhanga AFS VEDB 14/28 21 ft / 38 m Bihar
Bagdogra AFS VEBD 18/36 412 ft / 125 m West Bengal 20 Wing
Barapani AFS
Shillong
VEBI 04/22 2910 ft / 886 m Meghalaya
Barrackpore AFS VEBR 02/20 18 ft / 5 m West Bengal 6 Wing
Chabua AFS
Dibrugarh
VECA 05/23 350 ft / 107 m Assam 14 Wing
Dum Dum AFS
Kolkata
VECC 01L/19R
01R/19L
17 ft / 5 m West Bengal
Hasimara AFS
Jalpaiguri
11L/29R
11R/29L
340 ft /104 m West Bengal 16 Wing, 22 Sqn, 222 Sqn, (both with MIG-27), 791 SU.
Jorhat AFS VEJT 04/22 284 ft / 87 m Assam 10 Wing
Kalaikunda AFS 17/35 200 ft / 60 m West Bengal 5th Wing(Sqdn18 with MiG27s & OCU with MiG21s)
Kumbhigram AFS
Silchar
VEKU 06/24 352 ft / 107 m Assam 22 Wing
Mohanbari AFS
Dibrugarh
VEMN 05/23 361 ft / 110 m Assam 42 Wing
Mountain Shadow AFS
Guwahati
VEGT 05/23 350 ft / 107 m Assam
Tawang AFS 8,756 ft / 2,669 m Arunachal Pradesh
Tezpur AFS VETZ 04/22 240 ft / 73 m Assam 11 Wing
Panagarh AFS VEPH 15/33 240 ft / 73 m West Bengal 62 SU
Central Air Command
Agra AFS VIAG 05/23
12/30
551 ft 167 m Uttar Pradesh 4 Wing
Bakshi Ka Talab AFS
Bakshi Ka Talab, near Lucknow
VIBL 09/27 385 ft/ 117 m Uttar Pradesh
Bamrauli AFS
Allahabad
VIAL 06/24
12/30
322 ft/ 98 m Uttar Pradesh 29 Wing
Bareilly AFS VIBY 11/29 565 ft/ 172 m Uttar Pradesh 15 Wing
Chakeri AFS
Kanpur
VICX 01/19
09/27
410 ft/124 m Uttar Pradesh
Gorakhpur AFS VEGK 11/29 259 ft / 78 m Uttar Pradesh 17 Wing
Maharajpur AFS
Gwalior
VIGR 06/24 617 ft / 188 m Madhya Pradesh 40 Wing
Southern Air Command
Car Nicobar AFS VOCX 02/20 42 ft / 13 m Andaman & Nicobar Islands 37 Wing
Coimbatore AFS VOSX 05/23 1,319 ft / 402 m 11°00′49″N 077°09′35″E / 11.01361°N 77.15972°E / 11.01361; 77.15972 Tamil Nadu 43 Wing
Madurai AFS VOMD 09/27 461 ft / 141 m Tamil Nadu
Port Blair AFS VOPB 04/22 16 m /5 m Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Tambaram AFS VOTX 05/23
12/30
90 ft / 27 m Tamil Nadu
Thanjavur AFS (Tanjore AFS) VOTJ 253 ft / 77 m 07/25 10°43′20″N 079°06′05″E / 10.72222°N 79.10139°E / 10.72222; 79.10139 (Thanjavur AFS) Tamil Nadu 47 Wing
South Western Air Command
Bhuj AFS VABJ 05/23 268 ft / 82 m 23°17′16″N 69°40′12″E / 23.28778°N 69.67°E / 23.28778; 69.67 (Bhuj AFS) Gujarat No. 27 Wing AF, No. 15 Squadron AF
Jaisalmer AFS VIJR 04/22 887 ft / 270 m 26°53′21″N 70°51′52″E / 26.88917°N 70.86444°E / 26.88917; 70.86444 (Jaisalmer AFS) Rajasthan 41 Wing
Jamnagar AFS VAJM 06/24
12/30
69 ft / 21 m 22°27′59″N 70°00′41″E / 22.46639°N 70.01139°E / 22.46639; 70.01139 (Jamnagar AFS) Gujarat No. 33 Wing AF, No. 6 Squadron AF, No. 28 Squadron AF
Jodhpur AFS VIJO 05/23 717 ft / 219 m 26°15′05″N 73°02′53″E / 26.25139°N 73.04806°E / 26.25139; 73.04806 (Jodhpur AFS) Rajasthan No. 32 Wing AF, 10, 29, 32, 37 Squadrons
Lohegaon AFS
Pune
VAPO 10/28
14/32
1,942 ft / 592 m 18°34′55″N 73°55′10″E / 18.58194°N 73.91944°E / 18.58194; 73.91944 (Lohegaon AFS) Maharashtra No. 2 Wing AF, 20, 30 Squadrons
Nal-Bikaner AFS VIBK 05/23 750 ft / 229 m 28°04′21″N 73°12′24″E / 28.0725°N 73.20667°E / 28.0725; 73.20667 (Nal-Bikaner AFS) Rajasthan 46 Wing
Naliya AFS 06/24 68 ft / 21 m 23°13′12″N 68°54′00″E / 23.22°N 68.9°E / 23.22; 68.9 (Naliya AFS) Gujarat
Phalodi AFS 05/23 700 ft / 213 m 27°06′46″N 72°23′20″E / 27.11278°N 72.38889°E / 27.11278; 72.38889 (Phalodi AFS) Rajasthan No. 35 Wing AF, No. 23 Squadron AF, 104 HU
Uttarlai AFS VIUT 02/20 500 ft / 152 m 25°48′46″N 71°28′56″E / 25.81278°N 71.48222°E / 25.81278; 71.48222 (Uttarlai AFS) Rajasthan 5 FBSU, No. 4 Squadron AF
Makarpura AFS VABO 04/22 127 ft / 38.7 m 22°19′46″N 73°13′10″E / 22.32944°N 73.21944°E / 22.32944; 73.21944 (Makarpura AFS) Gujarat 36 Wing, 11 Squadron, 25 Squadron[3]
Training Command
Begumpet AFS
Hyderabad
VOHY 09/27
14/32
1,741 ft / 531 m 17°27′08″N 78°27′40″E / 17.45222°N 78.46111°E / 17.45222; 78.46111 (Begumpet AFS) Andhra Pradesh
Bidar AFS VOBR 02/20
08/26
2,178 ft / 663 m 17°54′28″N 77°29′09″E / 17.90778°N 77.48583°E / 17.90778; 77.48583 (Bidar AFS) Karnataka
Dundigal AFS VODG 10L/28R
10R/28L
2,013 ft / 614 m 17°37′45″N 78°24′12″E / 17.62917°N 78.40333°E / 17.62917; 78.40333 (Dundigal AFS) Andhra Pradesh
Hakimpet AFS
Hyderabad
VOHK 09/27 2,020 ft / 616 m 17°33′12″N 78°31′29″E / 17.55333°N 78.52472°E / 17.55333; 78.52472 (Hakimpet AFS) Andhra Pradesh
Yelahanka Air Force Station VOYK 09/27 3,045 ft / 928 m 13°08′09″N 77°36′20″E / 13.13583°N 77.60556°E / 13.13583; 77.60556 (Yelahanka AFS) Karnataka
Admin Training Institute, AF, Sambra, Belgaum 2,500 ft / 762 m 15°51′00″N 74°30′00″E / 15.85°N 74.5°E / 15.85; 74.5 (Yelahanka AFS) Karnataka
Maintenance Command
Nagpur Air Force Station VANP 09/27
14/32
1,012 ft /308 m 21°05′31″N 79°02′49″E / 21.09194°N 79.04694°E / 21.09194; 79.04694 (Nagpur AFS) Maharashtra 44 Wing
Ojhar AFS
Nasik
VAOZ 08/26 1,900 ft / 579 m Maharashtra 11 BRD

The other Air Force Stations that come under Maintenance Command are not air bases and are mostly Signal Units and Base Repair Depots situated in different towns. Delhi, for example, has a few BRDs and SUs that come under Maintenance Command.

List of advance landing grounds[]

  • Daulat Beg Oldi ALG, Ladakh
  • Chushul ALG, Ladakh
  • Fukche ALG, Ladakh
  • Nyoma ALG, Ladakh
  • Thoise ALG, Ladakh
  • Dharasu ALG, Uttrakhand
  • Vijaynagar ALG, Arunachal Pradesh
  • Pasighat ALG, Arunachal Pradesh
  • Mechuka ALG, Arunachal Pradesh
  • Walong ALG, Arunachal Pradesh
  • Tuting ALG, Arunachal Pradesh
  • Ziro ALG, Arunachal Pradesh
  • Along ALG, Arunachal Pradesh
  • Tawang  ALG, Arunachal Pradesh

References[]

  1. "Making the water boil in Afghanistan". The Hindu. 9 July 2008. http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/09/stories/2008070955191000.htm. Retrieved 18 February 2012. 
  2. Scramble.nl, Indian Air Force Order of Battle, accessed October 2011
  3. "Himalayan Eagles land in Vadodara". newKerela.com. 1 September 2011. http://www.newkerala.com/news/2011/worldnews-59296.html. Retrieved 7 November 2011. 

External links[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at List of Indian Air Force bases and the edit history here.