Prime Minister Modi lays the foundation stone of the strategic Deesa Air Base in Gujarat

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for a new air base at Deesa in Banaskantha district of north Gujarat near the India-Pakistan border.  The air base is of strategic importance as it will reduce the strategic gap of 355 Kms between the Air Force station in Bhuj and Uttarlai. The air base is expected to be completed by 2024.

Deesa Air Force Base

The project was approved by the Vajpayee government in 2000 but the project actually took off in 2017 when Modi became the Prime Minister. Deesa is a Greenfield air base spread over an area of 4,519 acres being developed in the Banaskantha region. 

It is 130 km away from the Pakistan border.

Strategic significance of the Deesa Airbase

Gujarat is economically very important for India and Pakistan is expected to hit the state during a conflict situation. The Deesa base will provide the Indian Air force the capability to take down the Pakistani planes launched from Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad, Shahbaz F-16 airbase in Jacobabad.

Deesa will also make Pakistani cities of Hyderabad, Karachi, and Sukkur vulnerable with its deep penetration strike aircraft.

The airbase can also be used to retaliate against Pakistan in case of a major terror strike in Gujarat or along the south-western sector apart from giving support to any land offensive in future.

The Indian fighter plane can cross the international border in mere two minutes at Mach 2.0 speed if there is an emergency.

Indian Air Force Chief: Air Marshal Vivek Ram Choudhary