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Charbatia Air Base is located approximately 12 km north of Cuttack, Odisha in eastern India. It is an aerial reconnaissance post of the intelligence agency's aviation unit, the Aviation Research Centre (ARC). The Research and Analysis Wing, India's primary foreign intelligence agency, operates intelligence collection aircraft through the ARC. The aircraft are fitted with electronic surveillance equipment and long range cameras capable of taking pictures of targets from high altitudes. The base, built with the assistance of the Central Intelligence Agency in the early 1960s and developed through till 1990s, was used for aerial surveillance and intelligence gathering of Pakistan and China's strategic forces. The first aircraft was delivered in the mid 60s and was a World War II vintage C-46 which was outfitted with an oxygen distribution system for operator and flight personnel along with surveillance electronics and recording equipment at the Air America base in Tainan, Taiwan. The installation was supervised by the design engineer, Mr. Kent Williamson. Mr. Williamson, along with other experienced personnel also deployed to Charbatia to train the first operator and maintenance personnel. Later additions to the surveillance equipment include specially outfitted Boeing 727 and Gulfstream III jets.

Charbatia Air Base ARC Field
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Operator	Aviation Research Centre
Location	Cuttack, Odisha, India
Elevation AMSL	115 ft / 35 m
Coordinates	20°32′58.63″N 085°53′10.54″E[1]
Map
Charbatia AFS Location of the airport in Odisha Show map of Odisha Charbatia AFS Charbatia AFS (India) Show map of India
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 04/22 2,743 9,000 Asphalt
Source: DAFIF

The air base is spread over 2,000 acres (8.1 km²). In 2011, the Government of India which controls the airbase announced that it will be converted into a full-fledged Indian Air Force station with six C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft.[2][3][4] But the plans for setting up such a station was subsequently cancelled and the C-130 Hercules transport unit was shifted to Panagarh in West Bengal.[5]

References

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