Sulur Air Force Station

History

The Sulur air base was established in the early 1940s by the Royal Navy as RNAS Sulur to serve as a transit base for the Allied forces during the Second World War. The air field was commissioned in 1942 as a Royal Air Force base under the South East Asian Command. The base was burnt down during the Quit India Movement of 1942. It was later handed over to the Royal Navy and was known as HMS Vairi in 1945. The Royal Indian Air Force also started operating from the base. As per Royal Navy report from 1945, the airbase had nine aircraft standing areas, four aprons, 16 aircraft pens, and storage hangars, apart from attached fuel stations, armory, and officer accommodation.

Post Indian independence in 1947, the Indian Navy took over the base and established INS Hansa. In 1956, the Indian Air Force took over the station. It was converted it into a repair station for aircraft and the No. 5 Base Repair Depot (5 BRD) was established at the station. In 1964, the Air Force established a hangars for storage of aircraft, and accommodation for non-commissioned officers. The No.33 Equipment Depot (ED) was commissioned at the airbase in 1967, and the station undertook maintenance and overhaul of Folland Gnats and Avro HS 748 aircraft of the Air Force. The air base provided support for the Indian military operations during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The No.43 Wing of the Indian Air Force was established at Sulur on 14 October 1985, and took over part of the assets from the No.5 BRD unit. It served as a support base during the deployment of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka in 1987.

In November 2010, the station became one of the field bases for the Garud Commando Force, an elite special force of the Indian Air Force. Since 2017, the airbase is engaged structural and engine repairs, overhaul, and maintenance of LRUs for the trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force. It has also assisted in rescue operations such as during the 2018 Kerala floods. In August 2023, a Type Training School (TETTRA) of the Air Force was established at the base. In 2024, the station hosted the first phase of Exercise Tarang Shakti, the largest multinational air force exercise held in India. The air forces of France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom took part in the exercise from 6 August to 14 August.

In May 2025, an unidentified man hailing from Bihar entered the base premises.He was apprehended by the IAF and handed over to the state police.

Infrastructure

Sulur Air Force Station is located in Sulur near Coimbatore, and is operated by the Southern Air Command of the Indian Air Force. Spread across an area of 1050.51 acre, It is the second largest air base of the Indian Air Force after the Hindon Air Force Station, and is responsible for protecting the coasts of Southern India. The airfield has a single 2516 m long runway designated as 05/23. It is equipped with a category II Instrument Landing System. The base also houses facilities for radio communications, and a transportable radar.

The airbase is equipped with a multi Doppler radar for weather services. It has several hangars for the storage of aircraft. The airport also houses a aircraft maintenance and overhaul facility and serves as the base for the No. 5 Base Repair Depot (BRD). It also has facilities for the overhaul, repair, testing and calibration of equipment required for the air force. The base hosts the No.24 Type Training School (TETTRA) of the Air Force, and No.610 unit of the elite Garud Commando Force.

Operational aircraft

While operating for the Royal Navy, the base initially hosted transport aircraft such as Beechcraft Expeditor C-2 and At-7, Avro Anson, Fairey Swordfish, Stinson Reliant, Supermarine Walrus, and Sea Otter that were moved from the facility in Coimbatore. Later in 1945, the base was equipped with Fairey Barracuda torpedo bombers. Post Indian Independence, the Indian Navy operated Hawker Sea Hawk, Breguet Alize, and de Havilland Vampire aircraft from the airfield, before they were shifted to Dabolim AFS in 1961. After the No.43 Wing was established in 1985, the No. 18 Squadron IAF was moved to Sulur in January 1985. It operated Folland Gnats out of the airbase till February 1988. The No. 109 Helicopter Unit, which operated Mil Mi-8 helicopters, was moved from Jammu AFS to Sulur on 4 June 1987 and was named as "The Knights".

The No. 119 Helicopter Unit operated Mil-8 helicopters from the airbase from February 1989 to May 1990. The No. 33 Squadron IAF, which operated Antonov An-32 transport aircraft, moved to Sulur in June 1991. It was suspended in July 1992. The base hosted a detachment of No. 11 squadron consisting of Avro HS-748 aircraft was hosted at the base from August 1992 to September 1996. The No. 33 squadron ("Himalayan Geese") was resurrected in March 2000 with An-32 aircraft. In 2008, the Chief of Air Staff indicated that the station would become the base for the indigenous developed HAL Tejas multirole combat aircraft in 2010.

The base hosted Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and microlights in the late 2000s. In February 2016, the Mil-8 helicopters of the No. 109 Helicopter Unit were replaced by Mil Mi-17 transport helicopters. The Sarang display team which was established as No. 151 Helicopter Unit in 2005, was moved from Yelahanka Air Force Station to Sulur in 2009. The team operated modified HAL Dhruvs for aerobatic display. In July 2018, the No. 45 Squadron IAF ("Flying Daggers") was established with a fleet of HAL Tejas aircraft. On 27 May 2020, a second squadron of Tejas aircraft was added as a part of the No. 18 Squadron ("Flying Bullets"). The squadron was later moved to Naliya Air Force Station in September 2024.

References

References

1. "Sulur Airport". Sky Vector.
2. "No.5 Unit BRD". [[Bharat Rakshak]].
3. "Sulur Airbase". Global Security.
4. "FAA Base, Sulur". Royal Navy Research Archive.
5. (23 November 2024). "When Peelamedu housed Royal Naval Aircraft Repair Yard". [[The Hindu]].
6. (9 December 2021). "Sulur Air Force: Grand in size but in news for wrong reasons". [[The Telegraph (India).
7. (19 January 2019). "Locked on to future, Sulur emerging as IAF's key base". [[Manorama News]].
8. "No. 610 Garud". [[Bharat Rakshak]].
9. "All about the IAF's special forces unit, the Garud Commandos". [[NDTV]].
10. Thomas, Wilson. (27 August 2018). "How air warriors from Sulur flew to help Kerala". [[The Hindu]].
11. "No. 24 TETTRA". [[Bharat Rakshak]].
12. (31 July 2021). "What is Tarang Shakti, the largest military exercise that India will host?". [[The Hindustan Times]].
13. Ray, Kalyan. (21 July 2021). "Exercise Tarang Shakti: India's Largest multinational air exercise to begin on August 6". [[Deccan Herald]].
14. (2025-05-15). "Unidentified man enters Sulur Air Force Base in Tamil Nadu, police launch probe".
15. "No. 43 Wing". [[Bharat Rakshak]].
16. (10 December 2010). "Tejas begins the sky party at AFS Sulur".
17. (5 September 2021). "INS Hansa marks diamond jubilee on 5 September 2021". [[Press Information Bureau]].
18. "Wings of Indian Air Force". [[Bharat Rakshak]].
19. "No.18 Squadron". [[Bharat Rakshak]].
20. "No.109 Helicopter Unit". [[Bharat Rakshak]].
21. "No.119 Helicopter Unit". [[Bharat Rakshak]].
22. "No.33 Squadron". [[Bharat Rakshak]].
23. (4 April 2010). "33 Squadron celebrates anniversary". [[The Hindu]].
24. (12 December 2012). "Selfless service earns two IAF squadrons President's Standard". [[The Hindu]].
25. (17 April 2008). "AF Sulur to get Light Combat Aircraft in 2010: Air Chief". [[The Hindu]].
26. (2016). "Audits related to work services". [[Comptroller and Auditor General of India]].
27. (25 September 2009). "'Sarang' team bids adieu to Yelahanka Air Force Station". [[Deccan Herald]].
28. (13 July 2013). "Sarang – from display to rescue". [[The Hindu]].
29. (16 February 2023). "Sarang helicopter team set to get bigger and better". [[The Hindu]].
30. "Smoke Generators for Sarang". [[Government of India]].
31. "No.45 Squadron". [[Bharat Rakshak]].
32. (13 November 2019). "More firepower to Indian Air Force! IAF to receive around 200 fighter aircraft". [[Financial Express (India).
33. (27 May 2020). "LCA Tejas to join IAF 18 Squadron today at Tamil Nadu's Sulur airbase". [[Zee News]].
34. (18 September 2024). "Squadron Leader Mohana Singh becomes the first woman fighter pilot in LCA Tejas fighter fleet". [[The Hindu]].