List of Indian Air Force stations
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.
Gwalior has the Indian Air Force's elite Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), a premier unit for advanced fighter pilot training in aerial tactics, comparable to the US Navy's TOPGUN, focusing on operational doctrines and tactics for aircraft.
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.
List of air stations
Note: Station and unit details are from Scramble.nl (2009) and outdated.[1] Article needs to be revised/updated.
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.
List of advance landing grounds
Along China border
Chinese Military has an integrated Western Theater Command across the whole LAC with India.[14] The 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.[15] Similarly, Indian Airforce has Delhi-based Western Air Command, Prayagraj-based Central Air Command, and Shillong-based Eastern Air Command to cover the LAC.
- Ladakh
- Daulat Beg Oldi ALG[16] serves Trans-Karakoram Tract (Shaksgam), Aksai Chin and Siachen Glacier.
- Kargil Airport ALG
- Fukche ALG[16] serves the Demchok sector.
- Padum ALG[16] Serves Ladakh LAC and Kargil LOC as a second line of defence airport.
- Thoise ALG[17]
- Parma Valley ALG near Chushul (to be reactivated)[18][19][20]
- Himachal Pradesh shares 250 km border with Tibet (China).[21]
- Shimla Airport,[21] civil airport available for military use. Serves Kaurik, Tashigang-Shipki La and Nelang-Pulam Sumda disputed area.
- Kullu-Manali Airport,[21] civil airport available for military use. Serves Kaurik, Tashigang-Shipki La, and Nelang-Pulam Sumda disputed area.
- Kibber-Rangrik, surveyed as of July 2020,[21] construction was approved in the January 2023 to be completed by 2024–25.[22] Will be closest ALG to Chumar, Kaurik, and Tashigang-Shipki La disputed area.
- Uttarakhand has 350 km border with Tibet.[23]
- Chinyalisaur Airport ALG serves disputed Barahoti and Nelang-Pulam Sumda sector. ITBP has 42 BoPs (border outposts) in Barahoti sector and Mana Pass area (Nelang-Pulam Sumda sector).[23]
- Pithoragarh Airport ALG serves the disputed Kalapani territory.
- Gauchar Airport ALG.
- Sikkim
- Pakyong Airport AGL serves Doklam disputed area.
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Aalo ALG, formerly Along.[24][25]
- Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground.[24]
- Pasighat ALG[24]
- Tawang Air Force Station
- Tuting ALG[24]
- Vijoynagar ALG[24]
- Walong Advanced Landing Ground.[26]
- Ziro ALG[24][25]
- Daporijo ALG.[27][28]
- Alinye ALG, Dibang Valley District.[27][28]
- To be reactivated as of September 2025. The airstrip was utilised by the United States Air Force as a staging ground during The Hump airlift campaign of the World War II. Following the Indian Independence, the strip was converted into mud-paved runway. However, the plans to revive the facility never went through and has not seen combat service since 1947.[18]
- Hayuliang ALG, Anjaw District.
Along Pakistan border
List of road runways
In India, road runways are called 'emergency landing facilities' (ELF). ELFs are activated in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh,Assam and union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. A total thirteen locations have been chosen for development of such road runways.[29]
- Yamuna Expressway: India has successfully tested its road runway on a stretch of the Yamuna Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on 21 May 2015.[30] It was built at a cost of ₹130 billion for its combat jets of the Indian Air Force (IAF), a first for military aviation in the country. In June 2016, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari announced that the government was considering developing 'road runways' for commercial operations as well.[31]
- Agra–Lucknow Expressway (Lucknow): The Bangarmau Airstrip is located 65 km (40 mi) from Lucknow on the expressway and has been tested multiple times since 2015 with fighter aircraft and military transport aircraft.[32][33][34]
- National Highway 925 (Barmer): on 9 September 2021, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and the Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh, inaugurated India's first road runway on a National Highway NH925 in Barmer, Rajasthan and, a mock emergency landing was conducted with the two ministers and the Air Chief Marshal R. K. S. Bhadauria on-board a military transport aircraft.[35][36]
- National Highway 16 (Bapatla): an emergency landing facility airstrip was activated on National Highway 16 on 18 March 2024. The 4.1 kilometres (2.5 miles) long by 33 metres (108 feet) wide strip has been constructed by the National Highways Authority of India. Aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-30MKI, BAE Systems Hawk, Antonov An-32, and Dornier 228, conducted landing trials on the same day.[37]
- National Highway 44 (Anantnag): an ELF was tested on 2 April 2023 from 03:45 to 04:30 am in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. The road runway is 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) long. Five helicopters, including two Chinook, two Dhruv, and one Mi-17 of IAF were part of the trial. It also included Sukhoi Su-30MKI and HAL Tejas. The road runway construction started in 2020 at a cost of ₹119 crore (equivalent to ₹140 crore or US$17 million in 2023).[29][38]
- Ganga Expressway: Indian Air Force fighter jets and transport aircraft conducted landing and take-off drills on 2 May 2025 from its 3.5 km (2.2 mi)-long airstrip on the Expressway near Shahjahanpur. This is the first such airstrip in India with night landing capacity. To assess the capability the drill was conducted in two phases in both day and night (9 pm to 10 pm IST). The aircraft included Su-30MKI, Mirage 2000, MiG-29, Jaguar, C-130J Super Hercules, An-32, and the Mi-17 V5 helicopter.[39][40][41]
- Moran Bypass: An ELF was activated on the Moran Bypass of National Highway-37 in the Dibrugarh district, Assam on 14 February 2026.[42] Built at a cost of Rs.100 crores,It was inaugurated with a landing by an IAF C-130J during the Prime Minister's visit to the state.Spanning over 4.6 kilometres,It is the First ELF located in Northeast India.[43][44]
See also
- Similar capabilities lists
- India-China Border Roads
- Indian military satellites
- List of active Indian Air Force aircraft squadrons
- List of Indian Navy bases
- List of active Indian Navy ships
- India's overseas military bases
- Indian Nuclear Command Authority
- Other related topics
- Armed Forces Special Operations Division
- Defence Cyber Agency
- Integrated Defence Staff
- Indian Armed Forces
- Strategic Forces Command
- Special Forces of India
References
- ^ Scramble.nl, Indian Air Force Order of Battle Archived 22 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine, accessed October 2011
- ^ "Maruti to vacate area within restricted zone of Gurugram Air Force station". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. India: The Times of India. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ Kumar, Kumar. "Gurugram: 6,000 houses near air force ammunition depot face threat of demolition". indiatoday.in. India: India Today. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ Verma, Sanjeev (2 February 2012). "Haryana allows illegal Hotel within restricted zone of Gurgaon Air Force Station". hindustantimes.com. India: Hindustan Times. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- ^ Indian Navy launches Information Fusion Centre to boost maritime security, The Week, 22 December 2018.
- ^ Defence minister inaugurates Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC) in Gurgaon, GKToday.
- ^ 1980, "Haryana Review", Volume 14, Page 47.
- ^ 2017, Fridabad disaster management plan, Govt of Haryana, p23.
- ^ 13 Nov 2016, Ground Threat for air warriors, Times of India.
- ^ 1991, Sainik Samachar: The Pictorial Weekly of the Armed Forces, p26.
- ^ Singh, Rahul (12 November 2025). "IAF chief lands C-130J, inaugurates Nyoma airbase in Ladakh". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
- ^ "Indian Air Force :: Air Force Stations". Bharat-rakshak.com. 30 September 2009. Archived from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
- ^ "Himalayan Eagles land in Vadodara". newKerela.com. 1 September 2011. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- ^ "Eye on India, China raises Tibet military command rank | Central Tibetan Administration". tibet.net. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Twisting India's Chicken's Neck". lowyinstitute.org. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ a b c India plans AGL strips, Deccan Herald, 2014.
- ^ a b Parma valley ALG, cogitasia.com.
- ^ a b Banerjee, Ajay (25 September 2025). "Eye on China, MoD to revive 2 airstrips in Ladakh, Arunachal". The Tribune. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ Joshi, Prateek (26 July 2016). "India's Growing Military Footprint in Eastern Ladakh: Facing China". cogitASIA Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Asia Policy Blog. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ O'Donnell, Frank; Bollfrass, Alexander K. (March 2020). "The Strategic Postures of China and India: A Visual Guide". Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
- ^ a b c d Himachal Pradesh: Demand for airstrip in Spiti area, Times of India, 17 July 2020.
- ^ To counter China, Nyoma airfield in Ladakh to be full-fledged base in 2 years, The Tribune, 5 Jan 2023.
- ^ a b Eyeing national security, Uttarakhand, ITBP to improve border infrastructure, Hindustan Times, 18 July 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Hooda, Deepshikha (13 July 2018). "IAF to have 7 operational Advanced Landing Grounds in Arunachal Pradesh in a month". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Upgraded Advanced Landing Grounds at Ziro and Along Inaugurated". Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- ^ "Walong landing ground in Arunachal Pradesh ready for operations". Archived from the original on 31 October 2015.
- ^ a b "UDAN reaches Arunachal Pradesh; first commercial flight flagged off | Business Standard News". Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- ^ a b "Commercial flight: Arunachal Pradesh finally gets connected with Guwahati by a commercial flight - the Economic Times". Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
- ^ a b "IAF conducts trial run on emergency landing strip with five helicopters on Jammu-Srinagar highway". The Times of India. 2 April 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "Indian Air Force (IAF) Mirage -2000 lands at Yamuna Expressway". Press Information Bureau. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
- ^ Kumar, Deepak (21 June 2016). "Turning roads into runways may be a stretch and here is why". Moneycontrol.com. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
- ^ Bajpai, Namita (28 February 2019). "Airstrip on Uttar Pradesh expressways war ready as back up for IAF jets". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ "IAF jets turn Agra Expressway into runway. Here's how - Breathtaking touch-and-go landings". The Economic Times. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ "Air Force planes land on highway near Lucknow in 2-hour drill". NDTV India. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "Rajasthan's NH 924A becomes first national highway with emergency landing airstrip". Firstpost.com. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ "IAF's emergency landing facility". The Times of India. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
- ^ "Air Force activates emergency landing strip on national highway in Andhra Pradesh". NDTV.com. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ "IAF conducts overnight trial on emergency landing strip on Jammu-Srinagar Highway". Kashmir Observer. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- ^ "IAF's day-night take-off and landing drills on e-way today". Hindustan Times. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ "IAF begins landing drills on Ganga Expressway in UP' s Shahjahanpur". The Economic Times. 2 May 2025. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
- ^ "Rafale, Sukhoi jets land under moonlight in historic night drill on UP expressway". India Today. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "Activation of ELF on National Highway near Moran" (Press release). Press Information Bureau. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
- ^ News Desk, NDTV (14 February 2026). "PM Modi Makes Historic Landing Aboard C-130J Aircraft On Assam Highway". NDTV. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "IAF Aircraft Lands On Assam Highway In Strategic Moran Drill". Times Now. 12 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
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