Agra Air Force Station
Encyclopedia
Air Force Station Agra also known as Agra Airport or Kheria Airport , is a military airbase
and public airport
serving the city of Agra
, in the state
of Uttar Pradesh
, India
. The air force station is one of the largest airbases of the Indian Air Force
(IAF) and has been synonymous with the Taj Mahal
for over half a century. On 15 August 2007, the airbase celebrated its sixtieth anniversary.
The base has remained unchanged, although many of the aircraft, squadrons, officers, and men have come and gone. During it’s sixty year history with the IAF, the base has seen the likes of C-47 Dakotas, C-119 Packets, HS 748 'Avros', AN-12s, AN-32s, IL-76s, Canberras, IL-78 MKI and now the AWACS. Today, it is hard to find a transport pilot who has not been at Air Force Station Agra at least sometime during his career; this trend will undoubtedly continue well into the future.
The base now has the honor of holding the first inflight refueling aircraft Squadron in IAF service, the 78 ‘Mid Air Refuelling Squadron’ (MARS) Squadron flying the IL-78MKIs. This is also a first for the whole of the Indian Sub-Continent region.
During World War II
, the United States Army Air Force Air Technical Service Command established a major maintenance and supply facility at Agra, named "Agra Air Depot". The 3d Air Depot Group serviced a wide variety of fighter, bomber and transport aircraft being used by Tenth Air Force
and the Allied ground forces in Burma and Fourteenth Air Force
in China
. The depot stockpiled large amounts of materiel for shipment over the Himalayan Mountains ("The Hump") by Air Transport Command
cargo aircraft flying to forward airfields in China. It also was a major stopover point on the ATC Karachi
-Kunming
air transport route.
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
and public airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
serving the city of Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
, in the state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The air force station is one of the largest airbases of the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
(IAF) and has been synonymous with the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
for over half a century. On 15 August 2007, the airbase celebrated its sixtieth anniversary.
History
Air Force Station Agra was established on 15 August 1947 and placed under the command of Wing Commander Shivdev Singh, who was the incumbent commander of the No. 12 Sqn. Based on the then present system of Commands, the base fell under the responsibility of the Western Air Command (WAC). The base remained under this Theatre Command for the next two decades. In July 1971 it was transferred to the Central Air Command (CAC), where it remains today.The base has remained unchanged, although many of the aircraft, squadrons, officers, and men have come and gone. During it’s sixty year history with the IAF, the base has seen the likes of C-47 Dakotas, C-119 Packets, HS 748 'Avros', AN-12s, AN-32s, IL-76s, Canberras, IL-78 MKI and now the AWACS. Today, it is hard to find a transport pilot who has not been at Air Force Station Agra at least sometime during his career; this trend will undoubtedly continue well into the future.
The base now has the honor of holding the first inflight refueling aircraft Squadron in IAF service, the 78 ‘Mid Air Refuelling Squadron’ (MARS) Squadron flying the IL-78MKIs. This is also a first for the whole of the Indian Sub-Continent region.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the United States Army Air Force Air Technical Service Command established a major maintenance and supply facility at Agra, named "Agra Air Depot". The 3d Air Depot Group serviced a wide variety of fighter, bomber and transport aircraft being used by Tenth Air Force
Tenth Air Force
The Tenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve Command . It is headquartered at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas....
and the Allied ground forces in Burma and Fourteenth Air Force
Fourteenth Air Force
The Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command . It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California....
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The depot stockpiled large amounts of materiel for shipment over the Himalayan Mountains ("The Hump") by Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
cargo aircraft flying to forward airfields in China. It also was a major stopover point on the ATC Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
-Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
air transport route.
Airlines and destinations
As of now, there are no commercial airlines serving this airport. However, the MP of Agra's constitution, in an interview with the Union Minister of Aviation (India) requested that commercial airlines be permitted to use the Kheria Agra Terminal.Developments
The 50 Squadron has been tasked with the operations of the newly inducted AWACS. The AWACS has been mounted on a specially designed IL-76 with advanced avionics & telecommunication system.External links
- Agra Airport at Airports Authority of IndiaAirports Authority of IndiaThe Airports Authority of India is an organization working under the Ministry of Civil Aviation that manages most of the airports in India. The AAI manages and operates 126 airports including 16 international airports, 89 domestic airports and 26 civil enclaves. The corporate headquarters are at...
- Agra Airbase at GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...