Jammu and Kashmir

The State of Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state in India. Till the 40s very little flying used to take place there, but with the invasion of this mountain kingdom in October 1947, and the airlifting of Indian Army troops into the capital of Srinagar, the state has developed many airfields to support the logistics of our troops stationed there.

Srinagar, Awantipur, Leh, Daulet Beg Oldi and Chushul are just a few of the airfields that the Indian Air Force uses in its daily supply routines. MiG-21 fighters were based in Srinagar, Awantipur and Leh for years now. Chushul airfield is the highest airfield at nearly 14,000 feet altitude. Leh is at 10,600 feet altitude and in the recent past had also operated MiG-23s and MiG-29s.

Jammu and Kashmir is more a land of dead aircraft than of preserved Warbirds. It is common knowledge that over the decades many transport aircraft of the IAF had crashed in the mountainous terrain and some have never been found at all.

A listing of the Warbirds in Jammu and Kashmir area as follows: