The first ever fighter base in the Southern Peninsula was inaugrated in Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu), by Defence Minister A.K. Anthony on Monday, May 27th, 2013.
The Indian Air Force (IAF)under the control of the Southern Air Command is stationing its most lethal Sukhoi Su-30MK1 super manoueverable combat aircraft. The full Sukhoi squadron (16 to 18 jets) will be deployed at the base by 2017. So far India has inducted over 170 of the 272 Sukhoi 30 MKI’s contracted from Russia.
The Indian Air Force(IAF) will keep deploying its regular fighter and transport detachments here since the runaway and other facilites are in place now.
This will strengthen India’s capabilities to protect its vast interests in yet another strategically important Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and Peninsular region.
The airbase has been modernised in the recent past and the infrastructure development includes ‘construction of a new runaway, parallel taxi track and other operational maintenance and adminstrative infrastructure’ to support air operations.
Past: The airbase was first contructed in 1940 by the Royal Air Force (RAF). During the period 1942-45 the RAF operated Hudson, Wellington 1C, Hurricane and Thunderbolt aircraft from this airfield.
The old runaway had served as a civil airport two decades ago. Thanjavur(Tanjore) was connected with Chennai(Madras)by Vayadoot in the early 1990’s.