Army Air Defence College

In July 1940, government established training schools for anti-aircraft and coastal defence wings at Karachi. These schools predominantly trained the Indian personnel including commissioned, junior commissioned and non-commissioned officers in anti-aircraft warfare. Unlike the Coastal Artillery School (CAS), which was moved to Deolali, the anti-aircraft training school continued at Karachi till 1947.{{cite book|author1=Kulwant Rai Gupta|author2=Amita Gupta|title=Concise encyclopaedia of India|date=2006|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788126906376}}

Following the independence in August 1947, the training school was moved and merged into the air defence wing of School of Artillery in Deolali. Initially ten courses were proposed for training at different stages in anti-aircraft warfare.

In 1955, Due to lack of facilities and firing ranges available for firing of missiles and other air defence weapon systems, it was proposed to relocate the wing. After the approval of setting up the academy in the 3000 acres of land given by the Government of Orissa in 1968, the government authorized the establishment of Air Defence & Guided Missile School and Centre in 1979. On 1 November 1989, the Air Defence & Guided Missile School and Centre was formally inaugurated as a part of Gopalpur military cantonment.

After the bifurcation of 'Corps of Air Defence Artillery' (later Corps of Army Air Defence) from the Regiment of Artillery in 1994, the college was awarded autonomous status from 10 January 1994.

The 'Air Defence & Guided Missile School and Centre' was rechristened as 'Army Air Defence College' (AADC) in 1998. Later in 2008, the Army Air Defence Centre was also relocated to Army Air Defence College.

The college is equipped with latest state of the art training facilities to train air defence warrior like several types of simulators, class room variants (CRVs), working models of weapon, cut sections and actual parts of radars, guns, missile and air defence systems used by the corps. These include ZSU-23-4B "Shilka", Tunguska Gun Missile System, L/70 Gun Systems, Zu 23 mm gun systems, 9K33 OSA-AK and its variants and the ingeniously developed Akash and MRSAM surface-to-air missile. Besides these, the college holds a computer and electronic lab, combat simulator room, sand model room, EW labs, Akashteer command and control complexes etc. the college is also Centre of expertise (CoE) on C-UAS and EW non Comn aspect. Indoor training comlex is known as Takhshila and outdoor training area is Ashtrshala.

College has administrative facilities like Nalanda Library, an auditorium ( known as 'AIMA Auditorium'), Sibia sports complex, Army Environmental Park and Golf Course, Samudrika sea beach, Sagarika shopping complex, station sainik institute, officer mess ,Dolphin officer institute , Unit Run Canteen and a lake for different aqua and sailing activities and adventure sports.{{cite web|title=Infrastructure|url=http://indianarmy.nic.in/Site/FormTemplete/frmTemp19P19C.aspx?MnId=Mt5VFpPiKI5rRAEM/rn4Jw==&ParentID=787axZaXAAQaKwBpEmZfeg==|website=Indian Army|publisher=GOI|access-date=23 October 2015}}{{cite web|title=Army Air Defence|url=http://indianprideholders.blogspot.in/2012/01/indian-army-air-defence.html|website=indianprideholders.blogspot.in|access-date=9 June 2016}}{{cite book|title=India: A Reference Annual|date=2005|publisher=Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting|isbn=9788123012308}}{{cite book|author1=India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting|author2=Research and Reference Division|title=India, 2004: a reference annual|year=2004|publisher=India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting|isbn=9788123011561}}{{cite book|author1=Gautam Sharma|title=Indian army, a reference manual|date=2000|publisher=Reliance Pub. House|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788175101142}}

The college hosts a seaward firing range, known as Gopalpur seaward firing ranges with a range about 75 km, to conduct the air defence weapon firing and outdoor exercises. This range is also equipped with electro-optical tracking and assessment system for firing analysis and validation of all army air defence systems. The ingenuously developed pilot-less target aircraft: DRDO Lakshya, MEAT and Banshee is used as the target drone.

The Commandant of Army Air Defence College is the head of the college. The inaugural holder is Brig AS Sibia. Initially the position was held by a two-star general and later it was elevated to the rank of three-star general. The present commandant is Lt Gen U V Talur, AVSM VSM.

1. AVSM-06,

2. VSM-03,

3. COAS COMMENDATION CARD-32,

4 GOC-in-C COMMENDATION CARD-324.

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Category:Military academies of India

Category:Air defence units and formations