Defence Minister A.K. Antony will inaugurate an airbase in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, on May 27. It will ultimately become home to a Sukhoi squadron in a few years time.
India’s lethal air dominance fighter Sukhoi will get its first base in South India with a view to keeping a strategic vigil over the Indian Ocean.
Western and Eastern front with Pakistan and China respectively already boast Sukhoi-30 MKI squadrons.
Informed sources said that it would take a few years before required infrastructure such as avionic bays, hangars, fuel dumps and other such facilities come up at Thanjavur to make the Sukhoi squadron of 16 to 18 fighter jets fully operational.
However, the IAF will keep on flying regular fighter and transport aircraft to Thanjavur, as the runway and other facilities have been spruced up there.
When fully operational, the airbase will help the country gain dominance over the Bay of Bengal.
