Author's signature: Laughing Sky
According to the Indian media "defencexp" website, India will receive all Rafale fighters produced by the French Dassault company by April next year. The first unit to receive Rafale fighters was the 17th Golden Arrow Flying Squadron deployed at Ambala Air Base. The next Rafale squadron will be deployed at Hasimala Air Base. So where is Hasimala Air Force Base located, and what kind of historical and strategic importance does it have?
Location and history of Hasimala Air Base
Hathimala Air Force Base is located in the Alipduar region of West Bengal, India. It is part of the Indian Air Force Eastern Air Command and is headquartered in Silom, Megaraya. The air base was established after the Sino-Indian War in 1962 to oversee Chinese activities in the region. On April 7, 1963, when an Indian Air Force DHC-4 Reindeer transport aircraft landed in Hasimah, it marked the official opening of the air base.
Hasimala Air Base is home to the 22nd Squadron of the Indian Air Force. The squadron was first equipped with British-made Mosquito fighters for ground attack and air defense missions. The 22nd Flying Squadron was stationed in Bareli when it was first formed, but after the Mosquito fighters operating at Hahimara base played an important role during the Indo-Pakistani War in 1971, the 22nd Flying Squadron was permanently transferred to Haasimala in December 1975 for deployment.
During the Third Indo-Pakistani War in 1971, Indian military aircraft flying from Hasimala Air Base played a key role in bombing Pakistan's airports, infrastructure, railway lines and troop deployments.
Until 2018-19, a MiG-27 squadron was deployed at Hasimala Air Base, although it was phased out that same year. According to the decision of the Indian government and air force, Hasimara will now become the second air base to deploy Rafale fighters, which will be delivered to the 101st Squadron Falcon Flying Squadron.
The Indian Air Force's 101st Flying Squadron was historically highly operational until the MiG-21 fighter jets it was equipped with were phased out in 2011. After that, the 101st Squadron's mission became aerial reconnaissance, and now the squadron's role will be readjusted, and after receiving the Rafale fighters, the squadron will perform air defense and ground attack tasks in the future.
The strategic importance of Hasimala Air Base
Located near the border between India and Bhutan, the Hasimara base is ideally located. It is also India's closest air base to the borders of Sikkim, Bhutan and China.
The Hasimara base is of great strategic importance because the threat of India's borders between east and west cannot be ruled out. The current tensions at the Ladakh border have not yet fully eased, and it is not impossible to open a new front in eastern India. Deploying Rafale fighters at the Hasimala base will act as a deterrent to neighboring countries, which is only 300 kilometers from Lhasa.
J-20 fighter jets have reportedly been deployed near the Sino-Indian border. The deployment of Rafale at the Hasimah base will give the Indian army an advantage and will also provide a strong guarantee for India's security in Sikkim and the Siliguri Corridor. Due to the long range of the "Gust of Wind", its combat range can also cover the southern Tibet region.
At present, India has deployed the Su-30MKI in the eastern region of India. The combination of the Rafale and Su-30MKI fighter jets will pose a significant threat to neighboring countries. The Indian government has begun to renovate the Hasimala base, including the expansion of the runway, ammunition depots, personnel quarters, maintenance facilities and so on. The base will be able to deploy both Su-30MKI and Rafale fighters.