Sulur Air Force Station
Sulur Air Force Station | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
Owner | Government of India | ||||||||||
Operator | Indian Air Force | ||||||||||
Location | Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 1,250 ft / 381 m | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 11°00′49″N 077°09′35″E / 11.01361°N 77.15972°E | ||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Sulur Air Force Station is an air base of the Indian Air Force located at Kangayampalayam in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. It is a former Royal Navy and Indian Navy base.
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
- 33 Squadron “Himalayan Geese” operates Antonov An-32 medium transport aircraft. These aircraft are being utilized by the IAF.
- Mi-17 V5 From 109 Helicopter Unit “Knights”
- HAL Tejas from 45 Squadron “Flying Daggers“ Multirole Fighter
Future aircraft
Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft will be stationed at the base by 2016.[2]
References
- ↑ Airport information for VOSX from DAFIF
- ↑ "Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft for Sulur IAF station by 2016". The Hindu. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
External links