Central Air Command

Central Air Command, Indian Air Force मध्य वायु कमान, भारतीय वायु सेना
Emblem of the Central Air Command
Founded	March 19, 1962
Country	India
Branch	Indian Air Force
Type	Operational Air Command
Role	Air Defence, OCA, Offensive Ground Support, Airlift.
Headquarters	Allahabad
Motto(s)	Sanskrit: Nigrahya Rasava shastrava
Engagements	1962 Sino-Indian War, East Pakistan Operations 1971, Operation Meghdoot, Orissa Super-Cyclone Relief, 1999
Commanders
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief	Air Marshal SBP Sinha

The Central Air Command is one of the five operational commands of the Indian Air Force. It is currently headquartered in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. It was formed on 19 March 1962, at Rani Kuthee, Calcutta.

Due to the possibility of war with China, No. 1 Operational Group was formed on 27 May 1958 at Ranikuthee in Calcutta, to look after all the units. In 1959, it was upgraded to Eastern Air Force (EAF). In 1962, after the Sino-Indian War, EAF was moved to Shillong and Central Air Command (CAC) was formed on 19 March 1962 with its headquarters at Rani Kuthee, Calcutta (now Kolkata). Calcutta was considered an inappropriate location for the Central Air Command Headquarters and it was relocated to Allahabad in February 1966.

During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, CAC English Electric Canberras carried out 163 bombing and 33 close air support sorties against Pakistani forces, and raided Pakistan Air Force airbases at Mauripur, Multan, Sargodha, Peshawar, and Chaklala. Squadron Leader Charanjit Singh and Flt Lt Mangat Singh made a 'brilliant raid' on the night of 13-14 September 1965, by carrying out a major air base attacks at Peshawar. Three Mahavir Chakras were awarded to the members of Canberra squadrons. In a major attack, seven Canberras of No. 35 Squadron attacked the oil storage tanks at Karachi, destroying about 60 % of Pakistan's oil reserves.

On 3 November 1988, during the 1988 Maldives coup d'état, Indian troops were airlifted to Maldives in two CAC Ilyushin Il-76s and landed at Hulule airport on a dark unlit runway. By 2.30am on 4 November the Indian forces completed their mission and safely brought back the President of Maldives.