Three failed strikes: Adampur airbase remains unshaken through 6 decades
In the past 60 years — over two wars and the recent skirmishes — Pakistan has attempted to target the Adampur airbase in Punjab three times, and failed each time.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood at the base, with the S-400 air defence system in the backdrop — symbolic of India’s growing air defence capabilities and the enduring resilience of its armed forces in protecting the strategically located airbase, situated between Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.
In addition to the S-400 system, Adampur is home to MiG-29 fighter jets. The Indian Air Force (IAF) operates three squadrons (each comprising 18 aircraft) of MiG-29s. In times of crisis, the Indian Navy’s MiG-29K jets — capable of operating from aircraft carriers — can also be forward-deployed to Adampur.
Pakistan’s attempts to strike Adampur have consistently ended in failure. During the 1965 war, 135 Pakistani special services group (SSG) commandos were parachuted into three locations near the airbase. A hastily assembled Indian force —including the Punjab Armed Police (PAP), vehicles from the NCC unit in Ludhiana and 80-100 soldiers from an Army unit — swiftly captured them.
According to the Ministry of Defence’s official publication “History of the India-Pak War 1965”, the paratroopers landed near a village, but the barking of dogs gave away their position. “The only force available at the airfield at that stage was some elements of PAP. This local force was reinforced by two armoured cars from the NCC squadron at Ludhiana and a company of infantry from XI Corps to assist in rounding up the paratroopers,” it notes. The paratroopers’ mission failed completely due to poor planning and inadequate intelligence about the base’s defences.
Just days earlier, Pakistani F-86 Sabre jets had taken off from Sargodha targeting Adampur, but were intercepted over Tarn Taran, northwest of the base.
In the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the western front began with Pakistan’s Operation Chengiz Khan on December 3, when the Pakistan air force launched pre-emptive strikes. The Pathankot airbase was heavily hit and its runway damaged in repeated attacks — 30 strikes over 14 days. However, Adampur, despite being a major base just to the south, was not hit even once. Halwara airbase, further south, was attacked. These details are recorded in the Ministry of Defence’s 874-page official history “History of the 1971 India-Pakistan War”.
During the 1999 Kargil conflict, Mirage jets of the IAF’s 7 Squadron flying from Adampur conducted key strikes on Tiger Hill, Muntho Dhalo and Tololing — further reinforcing the base’s role in India’s air operations.
