Air Force Station Arjan Singh

Air Force Station Arjan Singh
Air Force Station Arjan Singh;
	Indian Air Force C-130J
	IATA: none; ICAO: VEPH;
Summary
Airport type	Military (Indian Air Force)
Operator	Eastern Air Command
Serves	Indian Air Force
Location	Panagarh, West Bengal
Elevation AMSL	240 ft / 73 m
Coordinates	23°28′28″N 087°25′39″E / 23.47444°N 87.42750°E
Map
	Air Force Station Arjan Singh Air Force Station Arjan Singh Air Force Station Arjan Singh Air Force Station Arjan Singh (India)
Runways
	Source: DAFIF

Dear reader, We need your support to keep the flame of knowledge burning bright! Our hosting server bill is due on June 1st, and without your help, Bharatpedia faces the risk of shutdown. We've come a long way together in exploring and celebrating our rich heritage. Now, let's unite to ensure Bharatpedia continues to be a beacon of knowledge for generations to come. Every contribution, big or small, makes a difference. Together, let's preserve and share the essence of Bharat.

Thank you for being part of the Bharatpedia family!
Please scan the QR code on the right click here to donate.

0%

transparency: ₹0 raised out of ₹100,000 (0 supporter)

Air Force Station Arjan Singh (ICAO: VEPH), formerly Panagarh Airport, is an airport serving the city of Panagarh,^[1] in the state of West Bengal in India. Now it is an Air Force base under Eastern Air Command of Indian Air Force.

Units[edit]

History[edit]

During World War II, the airport was used as a supply transport airfield from 1942 to 1945 by the United States Army Air Forces Tenth Air Force and as a repair and maintenance depot for B-24 Liberator heavy bombers by Air Technical Service Command.^[2]^[3]

The airport has numerous wartime relics, with abandoned taxiways and a large concrete parking ramp remaining, although not used and in a deteriorating state.

In 2018 the airport was renamed after Arjan Singh.^[4]

Facilities[edit]

The airport is at an elevation of 73 m (240 ft) above mean sea level. It has one runway designated 15/33 with an asphalt surface measuring 2743 m by 46 m (9000 ft by 150 ft).^[1]

The Air Force is planning to deploy six mid-air refueling tanker aircraft at Panagarh air base in West Bengal. With the deployment of these tanker aircraft in Panagarh, the striking range of fighter planes like Su-30 MKIs based in Tezpur and Chabua (both in Assam) will be enhanced as these can get fuel mid-air. Panagarh is also the likely location of a proposed Army Mountain Corps headquarter. AFS Arjan Singh is another training base for Paratroopers. Paratrooper Training School in Agra have already set up their base here to train Special Forces for operations at night, even beyond the country's borders.^[5]

References[edit]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Airport information for VEPH from DAFIF (effective October 2006)
↑ Lua error: expandTemplate: template "Include-USGov" does not exist.
↑ Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
↑ "Panagarh airbase renamed after former IAF chief Arjan Singh". The Economic Times. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
↑ Gupta, Jayanta. "Panagarh base to turn into Special Forces training hub". The Times of India Oct 7, 2017, 07:18 IST. Kolkata. Retrieved 11 April 2021.

External links[edit]

Accident history for VEPH at Aviation Safety Network

[WAD-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Airport information for VEPH from DAFIF (effective October 2006)

[2] Lua error: expandTemplate: template "Include-USGov" does not exist.

[3] Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.

[4] "Panagarh airbase renamed after former IAF chief Arjan Singh". The Economic Times. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2019.

[5] Gupta, Jayanta. "Panagarh base to turn into Special Forces training hub". The Times of India Oct 7, 2017, 07:18 IST. Kolkata. Retrieved 11 April 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

1