Chabua Air Force Station
Chabua Air Force Station
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The base in 1944
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Operator | Indian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Location | Chabua, Assam, India | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 367 ft / 112 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 27°27′44″N 095°07′05″E / 27.46222°N 95.11806°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
 Chabua Air Force Station
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Chabua Air Force Station (ICAO: VECA) is an Indian Air Force base located at Chabua of Dibrugarh district in the state of Assam, India.
Currently used as a training airfield, the MiG-21 (FL) fighters assigned train young fighter pilots, thus, enabling a smooth transition to an operational role in the frontline squadrons of IAF. The unit calls itself ‘the young ones’. Formed in October, 1966 with the motto Abhyasen hi Kaushalayam, the unit has a glorious and chequered history since its establishment. Seven Vir Chakra, a Vayu Sena Medal and five Mention-in-Despatches won by the unit is a testimony to the gallantry of the unit. More recently, the unit has been declared as the `best fighter squadron' of EAC for the current year.
This Base was built in 1939. During World War II it was a major supply point for the ferrying of supplies to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's forces in and around Kunming, China. This was known as "Flying the Hump".
The Japanese occupation of Burma in 1942 had cut off the Burma Road, the last land route by which the Allies could deliver aid to the Chinese Government of Chiang Kai-shek. Until the Burma Road could be retaken and the Ledo Road completed, the only supply route available was the costly and dangerous route for transport planes over the Himalayas between India's Assam Valley and Kunming, China. This route became known as the Himalayan Hump or simply The Hump.
Operated initially by the United States Army Air Forces Ferrying Command (Later Air Transport Command) China Ferrying Command (later ATC India China Wing). The 1st Ferrying (later Transport) Group operated three squadrons of C-47 Skytrain and C-46 Commando aircraft from Chabua. The airfield was also an important layover stop of the ATC Karachi-Kunming air transport route. Flights operated west to Agra Airport, Willingdon Airfield (New Delhi), Gaya Airport, Assam (Borjhar Airport) and east into Dali Airport, and Kunming (Wujiaba Airport) in China
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