Eastern Air Command ( India ) The Eastern Air Command is one of the five operational commands of the Indian Air Force . Currently headquartered in Shillong in Meghalaya , it had its beginning as No 1 Operational Group on 27 May 1958 at Ranikutir in Calcutta as a part of the Govt ' s increasing emphasis on defence of the eastern borders . The Operational Group was upgraded as Command on 1 December 1959 with headquarters at Fort William , Calcutta and Air Vice Marshal KL Sondhi as the first AOC - in - C of the Eastern Command Indian Air Force # Rank structure . After the 1962 Indo - Chinese War , The decision was made to raise a full - fledged command at Shillong . The area of responsibility of the command now covers 11 states , and is bound by the international boundaries of Nepal , Bhutan , China , Myanmar and Bangladesh incorporating 6300 km of common border . Eastern Air Command now has permanent airbases at Chabua , Guwahati , Bagdogra , Barrackpore , Hasimara , Jorhat , Kalaikunda and Tezpur with forward airbases at Agartala , Calcutta , Panagarh and Shillong . Eastern Air Command consists of Air Defence squadrons consisting of the MiG - 21 and Ground attack squadrons consisting of the MiG - 27 . It holds the motto Samareshu Parakramaha ( " Lit : Valour in battle " ) , Activities and Responsibilities . The Eastern Air Command has a specific mandate both during peace and war . In war situations , the command is tasked to conduct counter air operations and provides offensive air support to Army and Para - Military Forces . In peace , the command swings into action whenever there is a natural calamity . It was extenisively involved in relief operations in the aftermath of the supercyclone in Orissa and has provided relief supplies during floods in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh . The command has three broad spheres of activity - operations , maintenance and administration . The fighter squadrons under the Eastern Air Command are equipped with MiG variants , and pilots are under continuous training for operational flying . At Tezpur , located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra in Upper Assam , newly commissioned ab - initio fighter pilots undergo fighter pilot training and on successful completion get inducted into various fighter squadrons in IAF . Majority of the fighter fleet of Eastern Air Command consists of MiG - 21 and the MiG - 27 ( " Bahadur " ) . The transport aircraft and helicopter of the Eastern Air Command are critical in the North - East India . The topography in the hill regions restrict the construction of a standard runway . Tribal settlements in places like Menchuha , Vijaynagar and Tuting in remote and inaccessible areas of Arunachal Pradesh totally depend on the aerial supply by the Air Force . They also depend on these aircraft to airlift their sick and ailing . The district headquarters at Anini , a conglomeration of about ten tribal settlements with a population of a couple of thousand in Arunachal Pradesh is the only one of its kind in the world which is totally air - maintained . Pilots operate from the Advance Landing Grounds ( ALG ) with only one third of the length of a regular runway , having unique and uni - directional approach and take off requirements . This coupled with the vagaries of weather expects superior skills from the pilots and their navigators . Both man and machine are stretched to the limits of their capabilities . Helicopter operations also form a critical part of the responsibilities of the Easter Air Command . For the pilots who negotiate this remote and inaccessible terrain , the experience gained over the last five decades has been well assimilated . The contribution of Eastern Air Command in bringing relief and in aiding civilian population in times of calamity and strife is an unsung saga of commitment , daring and dedication . War Operations . The Eastern Air Command was a major participant in 1962 Sino - Indian War and the Indo - Pak war of 1971 . During the 1962 war , Eastern Air Command was tasked with mounting transport support missions , a task admirably performed by its Dakota and Caribou aircraft . It also mounted reconnaissance and casualty evacuation sorties using the Bell and Sikorsky helicopters it operated at the time . During the 1971 war , Eastern Air Command was tasked with offensive as well as supply operations . It was involved right from the first clash over Boyra to the Tangail Airdrop . It also operated Mi - 4 helicopters in offensive roles behind enemy lines , operating from helibases in Tripura .