Helicopter Unit inducted at Air Force Station Thanjavur

One Helicopter Unit has been inducted at Air Force Station Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, a move that will ensure availability of sufficient resources with the Southern Air Command's headquarters to enhance operational capabilities as well as meet peacetime tasks, officials said on Wednesday. The unit was inducted at a ceremony held on March 19.

The Southern Air Command (SAC) is based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

SAC was established in July 1984 "in response to certain geopolitical developments to ensure effective command and control of IAF assets and facilitate quick deployment of combat forces in the event of threats developing in the Indian Ocean Region," the defence ministry said.


In a recent redeployment of IAF assets, one Helicopter Unit was inducted at AFS, Thanjavur on March 19, the officials said.

Air Marshal B Manikantan, AOC-in-C, SAC was present during the induction ceremony.

"Induction of the helicopter unit at Thanjavur would ensure availability of sufficient resources with HQ SAC to enhance operational capabilities as well as meet the peacetime tasks of Search and Rescue, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HAD) and casualty evacuation," it said.