The Indian Air Force (IAF) is setting up its first East Coast Air surveillance base at the unused World War 2 era Sholavaram airstrip.
If operational, this air surveillance base at Sholavaram will help the forces to secure the 2,500-kilometre coastline covering Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
IAF is planning to station few attack helicopters here. This would bolster INS Rajali, the Indian Naval Station at Arakkonam, which carries out surveillance through Boeing P8I.
In Sholavaram, a small airstrip is to be developed under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN) of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry.
Sholavaram air strip was created by the British during World War II.