NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited the Adampur airbase in Punjab, where he interacted with Indian Air Force personnel. The visit came just days after the launch of Operation Sindoor.PM Modi described his meeting with the jawans as a “special experience” and expressed deep gratitude to the armed forces on behalf of all Indians for their service to the nation.The Adampur airbase was actively involved in Operation Sindoor and was among the key military locations targeted by the Pakistani military last Wednesday.Adampur is India’s second-largest airbase after Hindon Air Force Station. It houses the formidable S-400 air defence system, also known as the “Sudarshan Chakra,” and serves as an operational base for MiG-29 jets.During a press briefing on Saturday, Wing Commander Wyomika Singh dismissed Pakistan’s claims of destroying the S400 air defence system, calling it part of a malicious misinformation campaign by Pakistan and confirmed that all such claims are fake.Air Force Station Adampur began as a small airstrip during World War II, located near Adampur on the Jalandhar-Hoshiarpur highway.It was officially established as No. 305 Wing on March 16, 1950, and was later renumbered as No. 8 Wing in 1956.The airbase played a vital role in the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971 and has been home to MiG-29 fighter jets for many years. It also supported operations during the 1999 Kargil conflict, when fighter jets from Adampur, including Mirages from No. 7 Squadron, carried out strikes on Tiger Hill, Muntho Dhalo, and Tololing.To support regional air connectivity, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) constructed a civil airport adjacent to the airbase at Kandola village at a cost of Rs 18 crore.The Centre approved the project in July 2015 after site inspection and clearance from the Indian Air Force.Commercial flights began on 1 May 2018, when SpiceJet launched services from a temporary terminal under the UDAN regional connectivity scheme.