13 Base Repair Depot Celebrates Golden Jubilee
13 Base Repair Depot, Indian Air Force, celebrated fifty years of distinguished service with a seminar on “Air Defence2040: Sensors, Networks & Sovereign Sustainment” at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. The seminar was presided over by Air Marshal Yalla Umesh, VSM, PhD, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Maintenance Command and witnessed participation from senior military leadership, veterans, DRDO, academia and leading defence industry partners.
Established in 1976, the Base Repair Depot has been a key pillar of the Indian Air Force’s maintenance ecosystem, undertaking repair, overhaul and life cycle support of critical radar and communication equipment. Tracing its legacy to the Radar and Communication Project Office, the Depot has made significant contributions towards ensuring the operational availability and reliability of vital air defence systems over the last five decades. In his welcome address, Air Officer Commanding of the Depot highlighted the Depot’s journey, acknowledged the contribution of its veterans and emphasised the need to build indigenous engineering and industrial capabilities to meet the evolving requirements of Air Defence 2040.
Addressing the gathering, Air Marshal Yalla Umesh, AOC-in-C, Maintenance Command emphasised that the true effectiveness of an air defence system lies in its operational availability. He highlighted that sustainment must be integral to equipment design and induction, stressing that sovereign sustainment entails the ability to diagnose, repair and restore sophisticated defence systems within the country. He called upon industry partners to develop equipment with indigenous testing, repair and life-cycle support capabilities, reinforcing the vision of self-reliance in defence.
The seminar featured expert deliberations on emerging technologies, including quantum sensing, life-cycle management and modernisation of air defence radars and network-centric air defence.
The seminar also highlighted a significant milestone in sustainable radar operations, with the successful demonstration of hydrogen fuel cell technology for powering IAF radars, in partnership with the National Green Hydrogen Mission and NTPC. The initiative underscores the potential of clean energy solutions to enhance operational resilience, energy autonomy and sustainable deployment of air defence systems, particularly in challenging operational environments.
