Sulur Air Force Base

Sulur Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force base located at Kangayampalayam near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. This Air base was established in the year 1940 by the Royal Navy of the then British Raj. This was a strategic base during World War II for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm: “Royal Navy Air Squadron”(RNAS). This base was used as a repair base for Southeast Asian aircraft. The Airbase which was used by the British, was burned down on 26 August 1942 during the 1942 August revolution. In 1943, the Indian Royal Air Force came to Sulur, which later got shifted to Cochin in 1949. After gaining independence, the Indian Navy established INS Hansa at this place to operate the Sea Hawks. After the liberation of Goa, INAS Hansa shifted to Goa's Dabolim airfield and Sulur was taken over by the Air Force. In 1955, the 5BRD (No 5, Base Repair Depot) of Indian Air Force was planned and it started functioning in 1959. For some time this airbase was also used for civil aviation. Since 14 January 1984 this base has been a part of the Indian Air Force. The runway was also used for racing motorcycle and cars in 1960s.

In 2013-14 a new squadron of HAL Tejas (LCA) will be stationed here as the first operation squadron once certification of the fighter aircraft is complete at the HAL Bangalore station.