IAF base Pune goes back to the Second World War when the defence of Bombay city and protection of other areas adjoining the city became very vital. The Air Force base was established at Lohegaon to meet these objectives in 1939 as an RIAF base and since then it has been one of the premier air bases in the country. An RIAF Squadron with Mosquito, Willington and Spitfire aircraft moved to this air base in 1939. Gp Capt R Hamildon, DFC was the last British Station Commander of this base. The first Indian Commanding Officer, Wg Cdr HS Ratnagar took over the base on 21 May 47. This base is one of the few bases from where the most variety of aircraft took to the skies and were inducted into the Indian Air Force. Several newly inducted aircraft have taken to the skies from this base. This base inducted the Tempest (3 Sqn, 1947), B-24 Liberator (6 Sqn, 1950s),Vampire(23 Sqn, 1950), Canberra (16 and 35 Sqn, 1957), Super Constellation(6 Sqn, 1960s, Hunter(17 Sqn, 1960s), the first indigenous combat aircraft Marut (220 Sqn, 1969) and MiG-21 Bis (28 Sqn, 1963). In recent history, the base was chosen for the induction of the maritime strike Jaguar aircraft (6 Sqn, 1986). MiG-29 (47 Sqn, 1987), Su-30 K (24 Sqn, 1997) and the Su-30 MKI (20 Sqn, 2002) aircraft Practically. all the aircraft. on the inventory of Indian Air Force since Independence have taken to the skies from Pune at sometime or the other. During 1965 and 1971 conflicts with Pakistan this base was utilised as a staging base for fighter and bomber operations.