Hasimara Air Force Station
| Hasimara Air Force Station | |||||||||||
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| IATA: none – ICAO: VE44 | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Operator | Indian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Location | Hasimara, West Bengal | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 340 ft / 104 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 26°41′53″N 089°22′08″E / 26.69806°N 89.36889°E | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Source: ourairports.com[1] | |||||||||||
Hasimara Air Force Station (ICAO: VE44)[1] of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is located in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, India. Hasimara is located strategically near the Indo-Bhutan border. It is also the closest Indian air base to the Chumbi Valley - the tri-junction between the Indian state of Sikkim, Bhutan and the Tibet Autonomous Region.
History
It is established in the sub-Himalayan region of West Bengal after the Sino-Indian War of 1962, completed 50 years of operational existence in April 2013. The Airforce station was activated on April 7, 1963, when an IAF Caribou aircraft landed and dropped off its first Station Commander, Wing Commander DG King-Lee. The decision to establish the air base here was taken after the 1962 war, which had just ended. The airbase took active part in the Indo-Pak conflict of 1965 and the Indo-Pak war in 1971.
It is home to No. 22 Squadron IAF and No. 222 Squadron IAF in India.[2]
Facilities
The airport is situated at an elevation of 2,066 ft/630 m above mean sea level. It has one runway with concrete surfaces: 11R/29L measuring 9,000 by 148 feet (2,743 by 45 m).