INDIA. Mumbai: A two-day conference of the South Western Air Command (SWAC) commanders began at the Air Force Station of the Indian Air Force at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan to deliberate on various topics.
Air Marshal Vikram Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command, and Dr. (Mrs.) Arathi Singh, President of Air Force Families Welfare Association AFFWA (Regional), was received by Group Captain Prem Anand, Station Commander, Air Force Station Jaisalmer, and Mrs Vrinda Prem, President, of Air Force Families Welfare Association (Local), on their arrival at IAF station Jaisalmer.
Air Marshal Vikram Singh addressed the officers and interacted with them. The conference served as a forum for commanders to exchange views on operations, maintenance, and administrative matters requiring deliberation. Guest lectures on air power and operational readiness are also being organised as part of the conference.
On occasion, Dr. (Mrs.) Arathi Singh reviewed the performance of various welfare activities being run by the AFFWA (local) for the benefit of “Sanginis” (wives of IAF personnel) and provided the necessary impetus for various welfare activities. She also gave trophies to the Best Air Force Schools competition winners in three different categories and to the Best Medicare Center of SWAC.
In 1970, the Jaisalmer airfield was established as the No. 14 Care and Maintenance Unit. After the 1971 war, it was upgraded, and the 4 Forward Base Support Unit (FBSU) came into existence on August 7, 1972, and was placed under the functional control of 32 Wing, Jodhpur. Its initial role was to provide staging facilities for fighter and bomber aircraft.
Subsequently, in 1979, Armament Training Camp was set up to exploit the Pokhran range in the vicinity. The station was designated to function as a provision for flying facilities by day and night for visiting detachments for air-to-ground firing at the range. The 3 Air Force Range Unit (AFRU) was set up in 1982. On January 12, 1984, the base was renamed the 41st Wing Air Force.
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