The heritage center was inaugurated on 8 May 2023 by Indian Union
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and is built on an area of 15,600 square feet. Located in Sector 18, the Chandigarh Administration is in charge of running the IAF Heritage Centre. It has five decommissioned aircraft on display, including a
HAL HPT-32 Deepak Pilot training aircraft, a
MiG-21 single-seat
fighter and a
Folland Gnat aircraft . Also, the Air Force Kanpur 1, built in 1958 by
Air Vice Marshal Harjinder Singh, is present. The centre shows how the Indian Air Force participated in numerous conflicts, such as the
Kargil conflicts in 1947, 1948, 1965, and 1971 and
2019 Balakot airstrike. Additionally, the center houses flight simulators that let visitors experience flying. The
SAM-III Pechora missiles are another main attraction. It also has a special section honouring female IAF officers for their contributions to national service. The center also has scale models of
Prachand helicopter,
Netra aircraft,
Mi-26, indigenous
Tejas fighter jets,
Sukhoi SU-30 MKI,
MiG-29,
C-130J Hercules,
IL-78 MKI aerial refueller,
Airbus C-295 and advanced light helicopter-
Dhruv. With the aid of murals illustrating major military campaigns, including the IAF's involvement in the
1948 Indo-Pak War and electro-mechanical 3D-dioramas showing the most recent operations, such as the Balakot airstrike, the centre highlights the illustrious history of the IAF. ==References==