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| r1-length-m = 1066 <!-- runway length in meter --> | | r1-length-m = 1066 <!-- runway length in meter --> | ||
| r1-surface = [[Concrete]] / [[ | | r1-surface = [[Concrete]] / [[asphalt]] | ||
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===1971 Indo-Pak war=== | ===1971 Indo-Pak war=== | ||
In [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], [[Pakistan Air Force]] launched preemptive raid on 12 airforce stations,<ref name=jag1>Om Prakash Maurya, 2017, [https://books.google.com/books?id=_Ec1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT145&dq=%22sirsa%22%2B+%22air+force%22+station&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiaqqPfoKPfAhXPTn0KHUoMCOQ4ChDoAQgtMAE#v=onepage&q=%22sirsa%22%2B%20%22air%20force%22%20station&f=false Babu Jagjivan Ram].</ref> including Sirsa station, Faridkot Stations, [[Halwara Air Force Station]], few railway stations, Indian armour concentrations and other targets | In [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], [[Pakistan Air Force]] launched a preemptive raid on 12 airforce stations,<ref name=jag1>Om Prakash Maurya, 2017, [https://books.google.com/books?id=_Ec1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT145&dq=%22sirsa%22%2B+%22air+force%22+station&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiaqqPfoKPfAhXPTn0KHUoMCOQ4ChDoAQgtMAE#v=onepage&q=%22sirsa%22%2B%20%22air%20force%22%20station&f=false Babu Jagjivan Ram].</ref> including Sirsa station, Faridkot Stations, [[Halwara Air Force Station]], a few railway stations, Indian armour concentrations and other targets. However, this failed to cause any significant damage except pothole damage to the runway which was quickly repaired.<ref name=af1>A.S. Ahluwalia, 2012, [ Airborne to Chairborne: Memoirs of a War Veteran Aviator-Lawyer of the India Air Force].</ref> [[Dassault Mystère]] jets pounded the [[Pakistan Army]] pitched against the [[Indian Army]] in the [[Battle of Sabuna Drain]]. Dassault Mystère also hit a train and destroyed 50 tanks on it between [[Okara, Pakistan|Okara]] and [[Sahiwal]]. On 5 December 1971, Dassault Mystère jets from the Sirsa station hit fuel dump at [[Changa Manga]]. On 7 December 1971, more trains carrying fuel and tanks were destroyed at [[Chishtian]].<ref name=airj1>Jasjit Singh, 2013, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Mku6DQAAQBAJ&pg=PT130&dq=sirsa+air+force+station+was+established+in&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjXgsyWwaLfAhVLRY8KHQjzBDkQ6AEIODAD Defence from the Skies: 80 Years of the Indian Air Force: 80 Years].</ref> During the war the Dassault Mystère losses from Sirsa stations were - Sqn. Ldr. J.D. Kumar killed, Sqn. Ldr. Anukul ejected, Flt. Lt. Das ejected after his engine flammed out.<ref>PC Lal, [https://books.google.com/books?id=eBszCSguEscC&pg=PT302&dq=sirsa+air+force+station+was+established+in&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjXgsyWwaLfAhVLRY8KHQjzBDkQ6AEIUTAI#v=onepage&q=sirsa%20air%20force%20station%20was%20established%20in&f=false My Years with the IAF]</ref> Airport authorities trained the volunteers from among the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh|RSS]] workers and deployed them for the airport security.<ref name=rss1>January 28, 1971, Organiser, Volume 25, Page 26.</ref> | ||
==Runway== | ==Runway== | ||
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It has [[No. 21 Squadron IAF]] of 45 [[Wing (military aviation unit)|Wing]]. Wing is an active air force combat formation. [[No. 15 Squadron IAF]] operating [[Su-30MKI]] is also based here.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indian-air-force-to-raise-four-more-squadrons-of-su-30-mki-fighter-501027|title=Indian Air Force to raise four more squadrons of Su-30 MKI fighter|date=5 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/report/pix-iafs-top-guns-brave-extreme-alaska/20160511.htm|title=IAF's top guns brave extreme Alaska|date=11 May 2016}}</ref> | It has [[No. 21 Squadron IAF]] of 45 [[Wing (military aviation unit)|Wing]]. Wing is an active air force combat formation. [[No. 15 Squadron IAF]] operating [[Su-30MKI]] is also based here.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indian-air-force-to-raise-four-more-squadrons-of-su-30-mki-fighter-501027|title=Indian Air Force to raise four more squadrons of Su-30 MKI fighter|date=5 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/report/pix-iafs-top-guns-brave-extreme-alaska/20160511.htm|title=IAF's top guns brave extreme Alaska|date=11 May 2016}}</ref> | ||
Originally the base was home to a squadron each of [[MiG-23]]s and [[MiG-27]]s, both single-engine fighters, of | Originally the base was home to a squadron each of [[MiG-23]]s and [[MiG-27]]s, both single-engine fighters, of No. 21 Squadron IAF.<ref>[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Sqn/003.html No. 3 Squadron, Indian Air Force] ''[[Bharat Rakshak]]''</ref> | ||
Sirsa was amongst nine airfields in the Western Air Command (WAC) for the Modernisation of Air Field Infrastructure programme (MAFI), started in 2009, and due its proximity to the Delhi, work at the station which included equipping it with sensitive radars was complete by 2011, when the first of six [[C-130J Hercules]] tactical transport aircraft bought from | Sirsa was amongst nine airfields in the Western Air Command (WAC) for the Modernisation of Air Field Infrastructure programme (MAFI), started in 2009, and due its proximity to the Delhi, work at the station which included equipping it with sensitive radars was complete by 2011, when the first of six [[C-130J Hercules]] tactical transport aircraft bought from the United States arrived, to be used exclusively by the Special Forces (SF) ([[Garud Commando Force]]). [[Hindon Air Force Station]] was designated to become home base for these aircraft, and for this purpose, the Hindon runway was extended and modern hangars, servicing and operations facilities suitable for the C-130J aircraft were added.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/may/220509-Hindon-Air-Force-station-airfield-transport-aircraft-Indian-Air-Force.htm|title=Hindon gets more airpower|date=2009-05-22|work=MiD DAY}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/iafs-first-c-130j-airlifter-to-arrive-this-week/articleshow/7297544.cms |title=IAF's first C-130J airlifter to arrive this week |date=16 January 2011 |work=The Economic Times|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015003445/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/iafs-first-c-130j-airlifter-to-arrive-this-week/articleshow/7297544.cms |archive-date=15 October 2012 }}</ref> | ||
It has a total of 40 aeroplanes, of which 20 are used for defence. | It has a total of 40 aeroplanes, of which 20 are used for defence. | ||