Air Force Station Lohegaon

Air Force Station Lohegaon
Name	Air Force Station Lohegaon
Nearest town	Pune
Country	India
Ownership	Indian Air Force
Operator	Indian Air Force
Used	1935–present
Occupants	No. 2 Squadron IAF; No. 45 Squadron IAF; Maintenance Units

Air Force Station Lohegaon is an Indian Air Force airbase located near Pune, in the state of Maharashtra, India. The station functions as a key Indian Air Force hub for fighter operations, maintenance, training, and logistics supporting regional defence and civil aviation integration. It hosts operational squadrons, technical depots, and supports joint exercises with units from Southern Air Command, Western Air Command, and other defence formations.

History

Lohegaon's origins trace to pre-independence aviation development in British India and expansion during World War II, when the site supported Allied air operations and training linked to the South East Asian Theatre. Post-1947, the station became integral to the Indian Air Force modernization that included acquisitions after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 and operational restructuring during the 1965 India–Pakistan War and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Over decades, Lohegaon has hosted upgrades tied to defence procurement decisions such as those involving Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Sukhoi Su-30MKI induction planning, and sustainment programmes coordinated with Defence Research and Development Organisation initiatives.

Location and Facilities

Located close to the Pune International Airport complex and adjacent to the Mumbai–Pune Expressway corridor, the station sits within the Pune metropolitan region and is accessible from the Pune Cantonment and Shivaji Nagar, Pune. Facilities include hardened aircraft shelters, maintenance hangars linked to Maintenance Units (India), technical depots with inventory managed under protocols established by Indian Ordnance Factories, and communications installations interoperable with Integrated Air Command and Control System. Lohegaon also incorporates liaison offices coordinating with civilian authorities at Maharashtra Airport Development Company and regional air traffic control at the DGCA.

Units and Operations

Operational units historically and currently associated with the base include fighter squadrons such as No. 2 Squadron IAF and No. 45 Squadron IAF, along with logistics and maintenance formations classified under Maintenance Units (India). The station supports sortie generation for commands like Southern Air Command and operational taskings assigned by Air HQ. Lohegaon has been a staging ground for deployments during crises involving regional contingencies tied to Kargil War logistical movements and has hosted detachments during multinational exercises including Exercise Garuda and Exercise Indra.

Aircraft and Equipment

Aircraft types operated from Lohegaon have included legacy platforms and more modern types through phased upgrades: examples encompass fighters influenced by procurements with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and foreign manufacturers such as Mikoyan-Gurevich, Sukhoi, and legacy platforms associated with Gloster and Hawker design lines. Support equipment on station includes ground support vehicles from Indian Ordnance Factories supply chains, avionics test benches sourced via partnerships with entities like Bharat Electronics Limited and National Aerospace Laboratories (India), and airborne systems maintained in collaboration with Defence Research and Development Organisation labs.

Airfield and Technical Specifications

The airfield shares airspace coordination with Pune International Airport and features runways meeting specifications for high-performance fighters and transport aircraft, with apron and taxiway configurations compatible with aircraft such as the Antonov An-32 and supramax platforms. Technical infrastructure includes an Instrument Landing System floor operability aligned with Airports Authority of India standards, weather observation units interoperable with the India Meteorological Department, and firefighting capabilities certified to handle jet fuel incidents under protocols similar to those used by Boeing and Airbus operators.

Role in Training and Exercises

Lohegaon serves as a locus for conversion training, lead-in fighter training, and joint tactical exercises involving units from Indian Army formations, Indian Navy aviation detachments, and foreign participants from countries such as United States, France, and Russia during bilateral drills. The station facilitates synthetic training aids, avionics simulators provided by suppliers like Tata Advanced Systems and collaborative curricula with National Defence Academy (India) and College of Air Warfare for doctrinal development, air tactics, and mission rehearsals for squadrons preparing for operational deployments.

Notable Incidents and Developments

Lohegaon has been part of notable events including air display participations associated with Aero India and contingency operations during regional emergencies. Development initiatives have included modernization projects tied to Make in India defence industrial policy and infrastructure funding synchronized with the Ministry of Defence (India). Incidents affecting operations have prompted safety reviews aligned with standards propagated by Director General of Civil Aviation (India) and institutional learning shared across the Indian Air Force network.

Category:Indian Air Force bases Category:Pune