Warbirds of India

An unidentified Hawker Hunter Mk.56a mounted on concrete pylons at the Hasimara airfield.Â

Rahul Devnath was the first to confirm the presence of a Hawker Hunter at the Hasimara airfield  entrance. Hasimara had a long history of operating Hunters. During the 1971 War, Hunters of No.17 and No.37 Squadron flew hundreds of sorties into East Pakistan. After the war, for a brief period, various other squadrons operating the type were stationed here.

The Hashimara airfield also features a derelict. A fire ravaged airframe of a MiG-27 still stands on its undercarraige at one part of the airfield. The Aircraft TS-517 of No.222 "Tigersharks" Squadron appears to have suffered a fire in the engine bay in the rear. Aparently the aircraft seems to have been stripped of all usable parts. Since the aircraft still features camo scheme and squadron emblem of No.222, it appears that this accident occured before the "Tipnis Grey" order came into effect..

MiG-27ML TS-517 on the Hashimara air field shows the ravages of a fire to the rear part of the fuselage, probably a result of a faulty engine? The aircraft seems to have been stripped clean of all usable parts.

Dassault Ouragan IC867, proudly sporting the BlackArcher's motif can be seen on display just in front of the Officers Mess of the Hashimara Air Force Station.

The Officers Mess at Hashimara Air Force Station offers a good place for war relics. A rare Dassault Ouragan is on display in front of the mess.

Two views of the HAL Gnat E1046 seen mounted on poles at Hashimara. The aircraft features the emblem of No.22 Squadron 'The Swifts'. Picture Courtesy: Sanjay Simha (left) and Rahul Devnath (Right)

HAL Ajeet E1046 is prominently displayed in front of what may be a major building / Hangar at Hasimara. The aircraft bears the markings of the "Swifts" - No. 22 Squadron, AF.