Sirsa Air Force Station

{{Use Indian English|date=August 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}

{{Infobox airport

| name = Sirsa Air Force Station

| ensign = 60px

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| nativename = Sirsa Vayu Sena Chhawni

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| ICAO = VISX[https://www.world-airport-codes.com/search/?s=visa World Airport Codes.]

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| GPS = VISX

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| type = Military

| owner-oper =

| owner = Indian Air Force

| operator = Western Air Command

| city-served =

| location = Sirsa, Haryana

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| occupants = No. 21 Squadron IAF
No. 15 Squadron IAF

| timezone = IST

| utc = UTC+05:30

| elevation-f = 650

| elevation-m = 198

| metric-elev = y

| coordinates = {{coord|29|33|42|N|75|00|21|E}}

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| pushpin_map = India Haryana#India

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| pushpin_map_caption = Location of the airport in Haryana

| pushpin_label = VISX

| r1-number = 05/23

| r1-length-f = 8956

| r1-length-m = 2730

| r1-surface = Concrete / asphalt

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Sirsa Air Force Station or Sirsa AFS (ICAO: VISX) is an Indian Air Force base under Western Air Command, located at Sirsa in the state of Haryana, India.{{cite web|url=http://www.pib.nic.in/release/rel_print_page1.asp?relid=20966|title=Air Force Day Fly Past an Appeal|date=26 September 2006|publisher=PIB, Ministry of Defence}}

History

=1971 Indo-Pak war=

In Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Pakistan Air Force launched a pre-emptive raid on 12 airforce stations,Om Prakash Maurya, 2017, [https://books.google.com/books?id=_Ec1DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22sirsa%22%2B+%22air+force%22+station&pg=PT145 Babu Jagjivan Ram]. including Sirsa station, Faridkot Stations, Halwara Air Force Station, a few railway stations, Indian armour concentrations and other targets. However, this failed to cause any significant damage except pothole damage to the runway which was quickly repaired.A.S. Ahluwalia, 2012, [ Airborne to Chairborne: Memoirs of a War Veteran Aviator-Lawyer of the India Air Force]. Dassault Mystère IV jets from Sirsa base pounded the Pakistan Army pitched against the Indian Army in the Battle of Sabuna Drain. Dassault Mystère also hit a train and destroyed 50 tanks on it between Okara and Sahiwal.

= 2025 India-Pakistan standoff =

During the 2025 India-Pakistan standoff, the Pakistan Armed Forces announced they had targeted Sirsa airfield with loitering munitions and Fatah GMLRS as part of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos. {{Cite web |title=‘Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos’: Pakistan’s precision strike on Indian army positions |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1310192-bunyan-ul-marsoos-pakistan-hits-india-with-full-force-in-retaliatory-action |date=2025-05-10 |website=The News International}}{{Cite web |title=India and Pakistan just stepped back from the brink of war. Here’s how it unfolded |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1910509 |date=2025-05-12 |website=Dawn news}}{{Cite web |title=Pakistan used 'high-speed' missiles to target military infrastructure: IAF official |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1310329-pakistan-used-high-speed-missiles-to-target-military-infrastructure-iaf-official |date=2025-05-10 |website=The News International}}

Units

It has No. 21 Squadron IAF of 45 Wing. Wing is an active air force combat formation. No. 15 Squadron IAF operating Su-30MKI is also based here.{{cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indian-air-force-to-raise-four-more-squadrons-of-su-30-mki-fighter-501027|title=Indian Air Force to raise four more squadrons of Su-30 MKI fighter|date=5 October 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/report/pix-iafs-top-guns-brave-extreme-alaska/20160511.htm|title=IAF's top guns brave extreme Alaska|date=11 May 2016}}

Originally the base was home to a squadron each of MiG-23s single-engine fighters and MiG-27s single-engine ground-attack aircraft, of No. 21 Squadron IAF.[http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/Sqn/003.html No. 3 Squadron, Indian Air Force] Bharat Rakshak

See also

References

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