Sulur Air Force Station

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Sulur Air Force Station

சூலூர் விமானப்படை நிலையம்
Roundel of India.svg
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
Owner Indian Air Force
Operator Southern Air Command (India)
Location Sulur, Tamil Nadu, India
Elevation  AMSL 1,250 ft / 381 m
Coordinates 11°00′49″N077°09′35″E / 11.01361°N 77.15972°E / 11.01361; 77.15972
Map
India Tamil Nadu location map.svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
Sulur Air Force Station
India location map.svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
Sulur Air Force Station
Runways
Direction LengthSurface
mft
05/232,5168,255Asphalt
Source: DAFIF [1]

Sulur Air Force Station is an air base of the Indian Air Force located at Sulur near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and is India's second largest air base after Hindon AFS. It is the base which is responsible for protection of India's sea area. It is the only base in India which handles both fighter and transport flights at one location; no other base in India is equipped to do so. It is also the only IAF base in India to have all Departments at one location: fighters, carrier planes, carrier helicopters, attack helicopters, a repair and overhauling depot, TETTRA school, Garud Force, Air Force Hospital, Southern Command Sub Headquarters, & ECHS. [2] It is a former Royal Navy and Indian Navy base.

Contents

History

The base was established in 1940 by the Royal Navy of the then British Raj. The base was called HMS Vairi and hosted a Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy Air Yard (RNAY) known as RNAY Sulur, a repair base for aircraft operating in Southeast Asia during World War II. The base was burned down on 26 August 1942 during the 1942 August revolution. In 1943, the Indian Royal Air Force came to Sulur, which later transferred to Cochin in 1949.

After gaining independence, the Indian Navy established INS Hansa to operate Hawker Sea Hawks. After the liberation of Goa, INA Hansa was shifted to Goa's Dabolim airfield and Sulur was taken over by the air force. In 1955, the 5BRD (No 5, Base Repair Depot) of the Indian Air Force was planned and it started functioning in 1959. The airbase was also used for civil aviation and for racing motorcycles and cars in the 1960s.

Since 14 January 1984 this base has been completely operated and maintained by the Indian Air Force.

Operational aircraft

The base is home for 5 Base Repair Depot and 43 Wing of the Indian Air Force. [3] The 33 squadron "Himalayan Geese" which operated Antonov An-32 medium transport aircraft is based at Sulur. [4] [5] The base also accommodates 109 helicopter unit "Knights" operating Mi-17 V5 transport helicopters. [6] The Sarang helicopter display team belonging to 151 Squadron of the Indian Air Force has its primary garrison at Sulur and operates modified HAL Dhruv helicopters. [7] Starting from July 2018, the air force station is also home of the 45 Squadron "Flying Daggers", which operates HAL Tejas. [8] On May 27, 2020, 18 Squadron "Flying Bullets" was operationalised from this air base. [9] 610 Garud Flight was formed at 43 Wing Sulur on 22 Nov 2010. The flight specialises in counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 18 Squadron IAF</span> Military unit

No. 18 Squadron, is an air-defence unit of the Indian Air Force, flying from Sulur Air Force Station. The squadron is equipped with indigenous HAL Tejas MK1 in FOC configuration.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 45 Squadron IAF</span> Military unit

No. 45 Squadron Indian Air Force is a Fighter Squadron internally based at Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu. The squadron operates the indigenous HAL Tejas fighter from 1 July 2016. The squadron was initially based at Bangalore, Karnataka and later shifted to its main base in Sulur from 1 June 2018.

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References

  1. Airport information for VOSX [usurped] from DAFIF
  2. "Tejas Commences Operations From Kerala's Sulur Air Force Station". NDTV. Press Trust of India. 2 July 2018.
  3. "AF Sulur to get Light Combat Aircraft in 2010: Air Chief". The Hindu. 17 April 2008.
  4. "33 Squadron celebrates anniversary". The Hindu. 4 April 2010.
  5. "Selfless service earns two IAF squadrons President's Standard". The Hindu. 12 December 2012.
  6. Thomas, Wilson (28 August 2018). "How air warriors fromSulur flew to help Kerala". The Hindu.
  7. "Sarang – from display to rescue". The Hindu. 13 July 2013.
  8. Siddiqui, Huma (13 November 2019). "More firepower to Indian Air Force! IAF to receive around 200 fighter aircrafts [sic]" . Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  9. "LCA Tejas to join IAF 18 Squadron today at Tamil Nadu's Sulur airbase". Zee News. Retrieved 27 May 2020.