Sukhoi adds to Chabua arsenal
- Aircraft lends strength to easternmost air base
By RIPUNJOY DAS
A Sukhoi-30MKI at Chabua in Dibrugarh on Tuesday.
Chabua air base, Dibrugarh, Mar 2 : The air force today added more teeth to its easternmost air base here in Upper Assam’s Dibrugarh district by induction of the sophisticated Sukhoi-30MKI.
The aircraft was inducted during a ceremony at the base here in the presence of Air Marshal K.K. Nohwar, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Shillong-headquartered Eastern Air Command.
Although senior IAF officers were tightlipped on the possibility of Chinese threat in Arunachal Pradesh and the region, the move to induct the aircraft is seen as part of India’s counter-offensive strategy to remain prepared to thwart any external threats., Sukhois were inducted a few months back at the Tezpur airbase as well.
The Sukhoi-30MKI, a multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed by Russia’s Sukhoi Corporation and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, is a variant of the Sukhoi-30 and is an all-weather capable, heavy class, long range air superiority fighter, which can also act as a strike fighter aircraft.
As a Sukhoi-30MKI aircraft, piloted by Wng Cmdr K. Sundaramani and Flt Lt M.B. Walunj, took off in style, there was applause all around as the Chabua air station, which was constructed just before World War II in 1939, witnessed history.
Senior officers of the air force, army and some civil officials, including Tinsukia deputy commissioner S.S. Meenakshi Sundaram, who were present on the occasion, were elated to witness three Sukhois which took off from the Tezpur air base and flew past in different formations.
“It is indeed a happy occasion for all of us to have the Sukhois inducted at the easternmost air base of the country. We are happy to implement the decision taken by the air force to induct its latest and most sophisticated aircraft in all the air stations across the country,” Air Marshal Nohwar told the media after the function.
“The aircraft is tailor-made to our specifications and incorporates Indian systems as well as French and Israeli subsystems. It is the most advanced of all the variants of the Sukhoi-30 and is a force to be reckoned with,” he added.
On the intent of inducting the Sukhois at Chabua, Air Marshal Nohwar said the air base was the first line of defence for carrying out both offensive as well as defensive task by the Eastern Air Command. “Our job is to ensure that the sky in the east remains safe”, he said.
The Chabua air base was used extensively by the Allies for the operations against the Japanese, and was abandoned after World War II. In 1962, in response to the Chinese invasion of Tibet and subsequent threat to the Northeast, the Wing 14 was formed at Jorhat and moved to Chabua. The first IAF aircraft to operate here were the Dakotas of the 49 Squadron and the Vampires of the 24 Squadron.
During the Chinese aggression, air transport support for Lohit, Siang and Subansiri divisions was provided from Chabua. In 1965, it was used as the base for a squadron each of the Hunters, the Otters and Mi-4 helicopters.
After the war, in 1974, the runway was renovated to enable high performance fighter operations and the 47 Squadron moved here with MiG-21 aircraft. Before its closure in 1992, there were no fighter squadrons here, but the station had two Mi-17 units for air logistics operations in Arunachal Pradesh.
In 1993, it was decided to expand Chabua to once again house fighters. The helicopters were relocated to neighbouring Mohanbari and Chabua remained without any flying squadrons till 1995. The 20 Squadron, the erstwhile Thunderbolts, equipped with MiG-21FL, started operations from mid-1995. They undertook the task of training newly commissioned officers of the fighter stream.
In January 1998, it was replaced by Operational Conversion Units, relocated from Chabua to Kalaikunda towards the end of 2009. On December 1, 2010, the 102 Squadron was resurrected with the magnificent Sukhoi-30MKI and Chabua once again became the easternmost fighter base of the air force.
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