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 stations all over India. These are grouped into seven commands: Western Air Command at New Delhi, Delhi. Eastern Air Command at Shillong, Meghalaya. Central Air Command at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Southern Air Command at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. South Western Air Command at Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Training Command at Bengaluru, Karnataka, and Maintenance Command at Nagpur, Maharashtra. The largest airbase is in Hindon, Uttar Pradesh.
There are a number of newer air stations being built as well, in line with India's strategic doctrine. The Indian Navy has some separate air stations for its aviation wing.
Western Air Command is the largest Air Command. It operates sixteen air stations from Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and a couple of Air stations in Uttar Pradesh. Eastern Air Command operates fifteen air stations in eastern and north-eastern India. Central Air Command operates two air stations 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 stations 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 stations in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Note: Station and unit details are from Scramble.nl (2009) and outdated.[1] Article needs to be revised/updated.
Station | ICAO | Runway | Elevation | Geographical coordinates | State/territory | Wing | Squadrons | Aircraft |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Western Air Command | ||||||||
Adampur AFS | VIAX | 13/31 | 775 ft / 236 m | 31°26′06″N 75°45′26″E / 31.434879°N 75.757256°E | Punjab | 8th Wing | No. 47 Squadron | Mikoyan MiG-29 |
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 | Haryana | 7 Wing | No. 5 Squadron
14 Sqn Missile and UAV Squadron 2209 & Squadron 2251S |
SEPECAT Jaguar |
Amritsar AFS | VIAR | 16/34 | 755 ft / 230 m | 31°42′28″N 74°47′57″E / 31.70778°N 74.79917°E | Punjab | 1 FBSU | - | - |
Awantipur AFS | VIAW | 12/30 | 5,400 ft / 1,646 m | 33°52′35.86″N 74°58′32.45″E / 33.8766278°N 74.9756806°E | Jammu & Kashmir | 8 FBSU | - | - |
Bathinda AFS | VIBT | 13/31 | 700 ft /213 m | 30°16′08″N 74°45′27″E / 30.268848°N 74.757430°E | Punjab | 34 Wing | No. 17 Squadron | Dassault Rafale |
Chandigarh AFS | VICG | 11/29 | 1,012 ft / 308 m | 30°40′35″N 76°47′19″E / 30.676290°N 76.788535°E | Chandigarh | 12 Wing | No. 44 Squadron | Transport:
Helicopters: |
Gurugram AFS[2][3][4] | Logistics base | 28°26′14″N 77°01′43″E / 28.437098°N 77.028544°E | Haryana | IFC and IMAC.[5][6] | - | - | ||
Faridabad AFS | Logistics base | 28°22′19″N 77°16′35″E / 28.371888°N 77.276432°E | Haryana | 54 ASP, 56th Air Storage Park, Guard dog training.[7][8][9][10] | - | - | ||
Halwara AFS | VIHX | 13/31 | 790 ft / 241 m | 30°44′53″N 75°38′00″E / 30.748041°N 75.633209°E | Punjab | 9 Wing, | No. 220 Squadron IAF | Sukhoi Su-30MKI |
Hindon AFS | VIDX | 09/27 | 700 ft / 213 m | 28°42′28″N 77°21′34″E / 28.707647°N 77.359340°E | Uttar Pradesh | 28 Wing | No. 77 Squadron | Transport:
Helicopters: |
Vadsar AFS | AFS | - | - | 23°08′46″N 72°28′53″E / 23.146200°N 72.481270°E | Gujarat | 47 Signal Unit | - | - |
Jammu AFS | VIJU | 18/36 | 1029 ft /
314 m |
32°41′21″N 074°50′15″E | Jammu & Kashmir | 23 Wing | No. 153 Helicopter Unit | Helicopters:
Combat Jets: |
Leh AFS | VILH | 06/24 07R/25L 07L/25R |
10,682 ft/ 3,256 m | 34°08′14″N 77°32′48″E / 34.137216°N 77.546614°E | Ladakh | 21 Wing | No. 114 Helicopter Unit | Mil Mi-17 |
Palam AFS | VIDP | 09/27 10/28 |
776 ft / 237 m | 28°34′25″N 77°06′53″E / 28.573736°N 77.114610°E | Delhi | 3 Wing | No. 41 Squadron | Hawker Siddeley HS 748 |
Pathankot AFS | VIPK | 01/19 | 1,017 ft / 310 m | 32°14′13″N 75°38′00″E / 32.236929°N 75.633227°E | Punjab | 18 Wing | No. 125 Helicopter Squadron | Helicopters: |
Sarsawa AFS | VISP | 09/27 | 891 ft / 272 m | 29°59′37″N 77°25′50″E / 29.993718°N 77.430671°E | Uttar Pradesh | 30 Wing | No. 117 Helicopter Unit | Mil Mi-17 |
Sirsa AFS | VISX | 05/23 | 650 ft / 198 m | 29°33′46″N 75°00′19″E / 29.56278°N 75.00528°E | Haryana | 45 Wing | ||
Srinagar AFS | VISR | 13/31 | 5,458 ft / 1,664 m | 33°59′40″N 74°45′55″E / 33.994374°N 74.765299°E | Jammu & Kashmir | 1 Wing | No. 223 Squadron | Mikoyan MiG-29 |
Udhampur AFS | VIUX | 18/36 | 1,950 ft / 594 m | 32°54′41″N 75°09′16″E / 32.911503°N 75.154410°E | Jammu & Kashmir | HQ AOC J&K
39 Wing |
No. 132 Helicopter Flight | HAL Cheetah |
Eastern Air Command | ||||||||
Purnea AFS | VEBD | 18/36 | 412 ft / 125 m | 25°45′35″N 087°24′36″E | Bihar | 14FBSU | - | - |
Bagdogra AFS | VEBD | 18/36 | 412 ft / 125 m | 26°40′52″N 88°19′43″E / 26.68111°N 88.32861°E | West Bengal | 20 Wing | No. 156 Helicopter Unit | Mil Mi-17 |
Barapani AFS | VEBI | 04/22 | 2910 ft / 886 m | 25°42′13″N 091°58′43″E / 25.70361°N 91.97861°E | Meghalaya | |||
Barrackpore AFS | VEBR | 02/20 | 18 ft / 5 m | 22°46′55″N 88°21′33″E / 22.78194°N 88.35917°E | West Bengal | 6 Wing | No. 157 Helicopter Unit | Mil Mi-17 |
Chabua AFS | VECA | 05/23 | 350 ft / 107 m | 27°27′44″N 95°07′05″E / 27.46222°N 95.11806°E | Assam | 14 Wing | No. 102 Squadron | Sukhoi Su-30MKI |
Hasimara AFS | VEHX | 11L/29R 11R/29L |
340 ft /104 m | 26°41′53″N 89°22′08″E / 26.69806°N 89.36889°E | West Bengal | 16 Wing | No. 101 Squadron IAF | Dassault Rafale |
Jorhat AFS | VEJT | 04/22 | 284 ft / 87 m | 26°43′54″N 94°10′32″E / 26.73167°N 94.17556°E | Assam | 10 Wing | No. 43 Squadron | Antonov An-32 |
Kalaikunda AFS | VEDX | 17/35 | 200 ft / 60 m | 22°20′21.90″N 87°12′52.37″E / 22.3394167°N 87.2145472°E | West Bengal | 5th Wing(Sqdn18 with MiG27s & OCU with MiG21s) | ||
Kumbhigram AFS | VEKU | 06/24 | 352 ft / 107 m | 24°54′47″N 92°58′43″E / 24.91306°N 92.97861°E | Assam | 22 Wing | No. 110 Helicopter Unit | Mil Mi-8 |
Mohanbari AFS | VEMN | 05/23 | 361 ft / 110 m | 27°28′50″N 95°01′18″E / 27.48056°N 95.02167°E | Assam | 42 Wing | No. 127 Helicopter Unit | Mil Mi-17 |
Mountain Shadow AFS | VEGT | 05/23 | 350 ft / 107 m | 26°06′22″N 91°35′09″E / 26.10611°N 91.58583°E | Assam | |||
Panagarh AFS | VEPH | 15/33 | 240 ft / 73 m | 23°28′28″N 87°25′39″E / 23.47444°N 87.42750°E | West Bengal | 62 SU, 87 Squadron | No. 87 Squadron | C-130J Super Hercules |
Tawang AFS | VETW | 8,756 ft / 2,669 m | 27°35′19″N 91°52′40″E / 27.58861°N 91.87778°E | Arunachal Pradesh | ||||
Tezpur AFS | VETZ | 04/22 | 240 ft / 73 m | 26°42′44″N 92°47′14″E / 26.71222°N 92.78722°E | Assam | 11 Wing | No. 2 Squadron | Sukhoi Su-30MKI |
Central Air Command | ||||||||
Agra AFS | VIAG | 05/23 12/30 |
551 ft 167 m | 27°09′27″N 77°57′39″E / 27.15750°N 77.96083°E | Uttar Pradesh | 4 Wing | No. 12 Squadron | Transport:
AEW&C: |
Bakshi Ka Talab AFS | VIBL | 09/27 | 385 ft/ 117 m | 26°59′19″N 80°53′29″E / 26.98861°N 80.89139°E | Uttar Pradesh | AD Flight | ||
Bamrauli AFS | VEAB | 06/24 12/30 |
322 ft/ 98 m | 25°26′24″N 81°44′02″E / 25.44000°N 81.73389°E | Uttar Pradesh | 29 Wing | ||
Bareilly AFS | VIBY | 11/29 | 565 ft/ 172 m | 28°25′21″N 79°26′49″E / 28.42250°N 79.44694°E | Uttar Pradesh | 15 Wing | No. 111 Helicopter Unit | Helicopters:
Combat Jets: |
Bihta AFS | 07/25 | 52 ft 170 m | 25°35′27″N 84°53′00″E / 25.59083°N 84.88333°E | Bihar | ||||
Chakeri AFS | VICX | 01/19 09/27 |
410 ft/124 m | 26°24′10″N 80°24′44″E / 26.40278°N 80.41222°E | Uttar Pradesh | |||
Darbhanga AFS | VEDB | 14/28 | 21 ft / 38 m | 26°11′41″N 85°55′03″E / 26.19472°N 85.91750°E | Bihar | |||
Gorakhpur AFS | VEGK | 11/29 | 259 ft / 78 m | 26°44′22″N 83°26′58″E / 26.73944°N 83.44944°E | Uttar Pradesh | 17 Wing | No. 16 Squadron | Combat Jets:
Helicopters: |
Maharajpur AFS | VIGR | 06/24 | 617 ft / 188 m | 26°17′36″N 78°13′40″E / 26.29333°N 78.22778°E | Madhya Pradesh | 40 Wing | No. 1 Squadron No. 7 Squadron No. 9 Squadron |
Dassault Mirage 2000 |
Southern Air Command | ||||||||
Car Nicobar AFS | VOCX | 02/20 | 42 ft / 13 m | 09°09′09″N 092°49′11″E / 9.15250°N 92.81972°E | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 37 Wing | ||
Sulur AFS | VOSX | 05/23 | 1,250 ft / 381 m | 11°00′49″N 077°09′35″E / 11.01361°N 77.15972°E | Tamil Nadu | 43 Wing
5 BRD 24 TETTRA School 6 AFH |
109 HU | Helicopters:
Combat Jets: |
Port Blair AFS | VOPB | 04/22 | 16 m /5 m | 11°38′28″N 92°43′47″E / 11.64111°N 92.72972°E | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | |||
Tambaram AFS | VOTX | 05/23 12/30 |
90 ft / 27 m | 12°54′25″N 80°07′16″E / 12.90694°N 80.12111°E | Tamil Nadu | |||
Thanjavur AFS | VOTJ | 07/25 | 253 ft / 77 m | 10°43′20″N 079°06′05″E / 10.72222°N 79.10139°E | Tamil Nadu | 47 Wing | No. 222 Squadron | Sukhoi Su-30MKI |
Thiruvananthapuram AFS | VOTV | 14/32 | 13 ft / 4 m | 8°29′N 76°55′E / 8.48°N 76.92°E | Kerala | HQ | ||
South Western Air Command | ||||||||
Suratgarh AFS | VISG | 05/23 | 560 ft / 170 m | 29°23′16″N 073°54′14″E / 29.38778°N 73.90389°E | Rajasthan | 35 Wing | No. 23 Squadron | Helicopters:
Combat Jets: |
Bhuj AFS | VABJ | 05/23 | 268 ft / 82 m | 23°17′16″N 69°40′12″E / 23.28778°N 69.67000°E | Gujarat | 27 Wing | ||
Deesa AFS | VADS | 06/24 | 485 ft / 148 m | 24°16′05″N 72°12′16″E / 24.26806°N 72.20444°E | Gujarat | 52 Wing | ||
Jaisalmer AFS | VIJR | 04/22 | 887 ft / 270 m | 26°53′21″N 70°51′52″E / 26.88917°N 70.86444°E | 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 | Gujarat | 33 Wing | No. 6 Squadron
No. 28 Squadron |
|
Jodhpur AFS | VIJO | 05/23 | 717 ft / 219 m | 26°15′05″N 73°02′53″E / 26.25139°N 73.04806°E | Rajasthan | 32 Wing | 143 HU
No. 10 Squadron No. 29 Squadron No. 32 Squadron No. 37 Squadron |
|
Lohegaon AFS | VAPO | 10/28 14/32 |
1,942 ft / 592 m | 18°34′55″N 73°55′10″E / 18.58194°N 73.91944°E | Maharashtra | 2 Wing | No. 20 Squadron | |
Nal-Bikaner AFS | VIBK | 05/23 | 750 ft / 229 m | 28°04′21″N 73°12′24″E / 28.07250°N 73.20667°E | Rajasthan | 46 Wing | No. 3 Squadron | Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 |
Naliya AFS | VANY | 06/24 | 68 ft / 21 m | 23°13′12″N 68°54′00″E / 23.22000°N 68.90000°E | Gujarat | 49 Wing | ||
Phalodi AFS | 05/23 | 700 ft / 213 m | 27°06′46″N 72°23′20″E / 27.11278°N 72.38889°E | Rajasthan | 35 Wing | No. 23 Squadron | ||
Uttarlai AFS | VIUT | 02/20 | 500 ft / 152 m | 25°48′46″N 71°28′56″E / 25.81278°N 71.48222°E | Rajasthan | 5 FBSU | No. 4 Squadron | |
Makarpura AFS | VABO | 04/22 | 127 ft / 38.7 m | 22°19′46″N 73°13′10″E / 22.32944°N 73.21944°E | Gujarat | 36 Wing | No. 11 Squadron | |
Training Command | ||||||||
Begumpet AFS | VOHY | 09/27 14/32 |
1,741 ft / 531 m | 17°27′08″N 78°27′40″E / 17.45222°N 78.46111°E | Telangana | |||
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 | 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 | Telangana | |||
Hakimpet AFS | VOHK | 09/27 | 2,020 ft / 616 m | 17°33′12″N 78°31′29″E / 17.55333°N 78.52472°E | Telangana | |||
Yelahanka AFS | VOYK | 09/27 | 3,045 ft / 928 m | 13°08′09″N 77°36′20″E / 13.13583°N 77.60556°E | Karnataka | |||
Admin Training Inst, Sambra, Belgaum | 2,500 ft / 762 m | 15°51′00″N 74°30′00″E / 15.85000°N 74.50000°E | Karnataka | |||||
Maintenance Command | ||||||||
Nagpur AFS | VANP | 09/27 14/32 |
1,012 ft /308 m | 21°05′31″N 79°02′49″E / 21.09194°N 79.04694°E | Maharashtra | 44 Wing | ||
Ojhar AFS | VAOZ | 08/26 | 1,900 ft / 579 m | 20°07′10″N 073°54′49″E / 20.11944°N 73.91361°E | Maharashtra | 11 BRD | ||
Devlali AFS | 19°51′18.36″N 73°48′13.5″E / 19.8551000°N 73.803750°E | Maharashtra | Helicopter Maintenance Unit |
The other Air Force stations that come under Maintenance Command are not air stations and are mostly signal units and station repair depots situated in different towns. Delhi, for example, has a few BRDs and SUs that come under Maintenance Command.
Chinese Military has an integrated Western Theater Command across the whole LAC with India.[12] Indian Military has divided the LAC into 3 sectors - the western sector across Ladakh and the Chinese-held Aksai Chin, the central sector across Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states, and the eastern sector across Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh states.[13] Similarly, Indian Airforce has Delhi-based Western Air Command, Prayagraj-based Central Air Command, and Shillong-based Eastern Air Command to cover the LAC.