Gwalior has the Indian Air Force's eliteTactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE), a premier unit for advanced fighter pilot training in aerial tactics, comparable to the US Navy's TOPGUN, focusing on operational doctrines and tactics for aircraft.
There are a number of newer air stations being built as well, in line with India's strategic doctrine. TheIndian Navy has some separateair stations for itsaviation wing.
Western Air Command is the largest Air Command. It operates sixteen air stations fromJammu & Kashmir,Punjab,Haryana,Himachal Pradesh and a couple of Air stations inUttar Pradesh. Eastern Air Command operates fifteen air stations in eastern and north-eastern India. Central Air Command operates two air stations inUttar Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh and surrounding states of central India. Southern Air Command's tasks include protecting the vital shipping routes. It operates nine air stations inSouthern India and two in theAndaman and Nicobar Islands. South Western Air Command is the front line of defence against Pakistan. This important command operates twelve air stations inGujarat,Maharashtra andRajasthan.
The other Air Force stations that come under Maintenance Command are not air stations and are mostly signal units and station repair depots situated in different towns. Delhi, for example, has a few BRDs and SUs that come under Maintenance Command.
Kullu-Manali Airport,[21] civil airport available for military use. Serves Kaurik, Tashigang-Shipki La, and Nelang-Pulam Sumda disputed area.
Kibber-Rangrik, surveyed as of July 2020,[21] construction was approved in the January 2023 to be completed by 2024–25.[22] Will be closest ALG to Chumar,Kaurik, and Tashigang-Shipki La disputed area.
To be reactivated as of September 2025. The airstrip was utilised by theUnited States Air Force as astaging ground duringThe Hump airlift campaign of theWorld War II. Following theIndian Independence, the strip was converted into mud-paved runway. However, the plans to revive the facility never went through and has not seen combat service since 1947.[18]
In India, road runways are called 'emergency landing facilities' (ELF). ELFs are activated in the states ofUttar Pradesh,Rajasthan,Andhra Pradesh,Assam and union territory ofJammu and Kashmir. A total thirteen locations have been chosen for development of such road runways.[29]
Yamuna Expressway: India has successfully tested its road runway on a stretch of the Yamuna Expressway inUttar Pradesh on 21 May 2015.[30] It was built at a cost of ₹130 billion for its combat jets of theIndian Air Force (IAF), a first for military aviation in the country. In June 2016, theMinister of Road Transport and Highways,Nitin Gadkari announced that the government was considering developing 'road runways' for commercial operations as well.[31]
National Highway 44 (Anantnag): an ELF was tested on 2 April 2023 from 03:45 to 04:30 am inJammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. The road runway is 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) long. Five helicopters, including twoChinook, twoDhruv, and oneMi-17 of IAF were part of the trial. It also includedSukhoi Su-30MKI andHAL Tejas. The road runway construction started in 2020 at a cost of₹119crore (equivalent to₹140 crore or US$17 million in 2023).[29][38]
Ganga Expressway: Indian Air Force fighter jets and transport aircraft conducted landing and take-off drills on 2 May 2025 from its 3.5 km (2.2 mi)-long airstrip on the Expressway nearShahjahanpur. This is the first such airstrip in India with night landing capacity. To assess the capability the drill was conducted in two phases in both day and night (9 pm to 10 pmIST). The aircraft includedSu-30MKI,Mirage 2000,MiG-29,Jaguar,C-130J Super Hercules,An-32, and theMi-17 V5 helicopter.[39][40][41]
Moran Bypass: An ELF was activated on the Moran Bypass ofNational Highway-37 in theDibrugarh district,Assam on 14 February 2026.[42] Built at a cost of Rs.100 crores,It was inaugurated with a landing by an IAF C-130J during thePrime Minister's visit to the state.Spanning over 4.6 kilometres,It is the First ELF located in Northeast India.[43][44]
