28.5.13

IAF Base @ Thanjavur


Strengthening the country’s presence in the Indian Ocean region, defence minister A K Antony dedicated a new Air Force base in Thanjavur. The ceremony was attended by Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne, Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Jolly, commanding-in-chief, southern air command and other civilian dignitaries.
“The Thanjavur airbase is going to be another strategically important base in the southern peninsula under the control of southern air command. It’s significant in view of the current geo-political scenario and security perceptions in the oceanic region around the peninsula,” Antony said.
The airbase is equipped and ready to undertake fighter, transport and helicopter operations and detachments of these aircraft will be planned every year.
The Air Force station is also slated to house an array of IAF platforms, including Su-30 “air dominance fighter aircraft”, medium transport aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, and medium power radar, and the infrastructure would be ready by the year 2017, an official said.
The government decided to increase the country’s air power capabilities in the southern peninsula to provide air defence protection to the high value national installations and the island territories.
There was also a growing need to protect India’s maritime trade, and so the government decided to create a southern air command in Thiruvananthapuram in 1984 when it gave approval for the formation of 47-wing in Thanjavur which the IAF took over in March 1990 from the Airport Authority of India to whom the erstwhile Royal Air Force had been handed over after Independence. During the period 1942-45, the Royal Air Force operated this airport with Hudson, Wellington IC, Hurricane, and Thunderbolt aircraft.
During the interregnum after the airbase was handed over to the AAI, and before IAF took over in 1990, the airbase was used for relief operations when affected by natural calamities.
During heavy flooding in Tamil Nadu in November 2008, IAF helicopters operating from Thanjavur dropped 15,000 kg of relief materials to the affected areas.
Antony landed at the new airbase by an IAF aircraft at 11am and was received by Thanjavur revenue officer Suresh Kumar and superintendent of police Dharmaraj. The defence minister was welcomed with a ceremonial guard of honor and the dedication ceremony was marked by an inaugural flight of two Sukhoi-30 aircraft.
Later, the minister unveiled a dedication plaque marking the event, and visited the photo gallery that captured the history and evolution of Air Force Station in Thanjavur.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief of Air Staff said in the years ahead, the strategic importance of the Thanjavur airbase is likely to grow exponentially.
He thanked the defence minister for settling issues relating to the relocation of the some of the villagers who had given land for the expansion of the station. Antony also thanked the successive governments of Tamil Nadu for their help and support in creating the airbase.

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