Indian Air Force News & Discussions

[GatlingGun]

@DDG-80 @samejjangir @Guru Dutt @indushek @Archie @GatlingGun @Pingle @MirageBlue

Anything like this exists for IAF, with squadron numbers and airframe silhouettes? Atleast for the Pakistan facing bases..

4 years old. So some mig21 sqdrns might've been replaced by either moving around SU30 or mig29.

 

[DDG-80]

 

[MirageBlue]

 

[MirageBlue]

Greek General Dimitrios Houpis, the Chief of the General Staff of the Greek Defense Forces has confirmed after his visit to India, that the IAF is interested in acquiring Greek Mirage-2000-5s. But the discussions are at a very initial stage.

A/ΓΕΕΘΑ: Με έχουν εντυπωσιάσει οι ικανότητες της Ινδίας-Επιβεβαίωσε το ενδιαφέρον του Ν.Δελχί για την αγορά των Mirage 2000-5 - Directus

Directus - Άμυνα

directus-gr.translate.goog

 

[MirageBlue]

 

[MirageBlue]

Just a data point into how good the Astra Mk1 is..

engaged a Banshee drone which doesn't have a big RCS, at 87 km and had a direct hit.

 

[MirageBlue]

And the range of the Astra Mk2 is quoted as being 160 km

 

[DDG-80]

The two remaining S-400 air defence systems under a $5.4-billion deal concluded by India will be delivered by Russia by 2025 following a delay in implementing the programme, people familiar with the matter said.
The two remaining S-400 systems are expected to arrive in India by the end of next year, the people said without giving more specific details.

Russia expected to deliver two remaining S-400 systems by next year

The deliveries of S-400 air defence systems were affected by the conflict in Ukraine and Western sanctions.

www.hindustantimes.com

 

[Pingle]

The two remaining S-400 air defence systems under a $5.4-billion deal concluded by India will be delivered by Russia by 2025 following a delay in implementing the programme, people familiar with the matter said.
The two remaining S-400 systems are expected to arrive in India by the end of next year, the people said without giving more specific details.

Russia expected to deliver two remaining S-400 systems by next year

The deliveries of S-400 air defence systems were affected by the conflict in Ukraine and Western sanctions.

www.hindustantimes.com

Had lots of grudges against Russia but now I say sorry to Russia...... if any Russian is reading this post then I want to say thank you to your great nation.... you always stood behind India in our thick and thins..... India would have been bombed back to stone age in 1971 if you were not there...... I take my bad words back.....

 

[GoMig-21]

Found the Indian Space Thread so I moved it there.

Indian Air Force News & Discussions

@DDG-80 @samejjangir @Guru Dutt @indushek @Archie @GatlingGun @Pingle @MirageBlue Anything like this exists for IAF, with squadron numbers and airframe silhouettes? Atleast for the Pakistan facing bases.. 4 years old. So some mig21 sqdrns might've been replaced by either moving around SU30 or...

defencepk.com

 

[Fatman17]

INDIAN AIR FORCE’S 3 SQUADRON AT 80​

1. Aviation Features
2. Indian Air Force’s 3 Squadron at 80

16th March 2021
FEATURE

Andrew Thomas reveals some of the rich and proud history of the Indian Air Force’s 3 Squadron in this, its 80th anniversary year...​

At the start of World War Two, the nascent Indian Air Force (IAF), which was established in 1933, began a gradual expansion to assume greater responsibility from the RAF for the defence of India. Thus, on October 1, 1941, 3 Squadron was formed at Peshawar under the command of the RAF’s Sqn Ldr Norman Arthur Napier Bray, with Flt Lt Diwan Nanda and Plt Off Om Prakash Mehra chosen as his flight commanders. Informally known as the ‘Cobras’, it was to take on the role of army co-operation and aerial policing duties over India’s fractious North West Frontier Province (NWFP) – in what is now Pakistan – with six antiquated Hawker Audax biplanes transferred from 28 Squadron RAF.

Hawker Audax K5581/MR-O seen at Quetta during 1942. The aircraft was written off at Mirmasha in September that year when it stalled on take-off as the pilot attempted to avoid a work party on the runway

Bloodied Cobras​

In late November, ‘A’ Flight flew southwest to Miranshah to undertake ‘watch and ward’ duties, which encompassed two main tasks – the blockade or bombing of rebel villages and co-operation with ground forces during policing activities over the NWFP. Subsequently, this first detachment was thrown into action against the continuing, yet intermittent, insurgency campaign led by tribal leader the Faqir of Ipi against government control across Waziristan. Having commenced hostilities in the mid-1930s, the Faqir was a recurring irritant to the British Raj.
During one of 3 Squadron’s early operations on January 31, 1942, Audax K4849 in the hands of Plt Off Mehra crashed while landing at Miranshah, resulting in his gunner Sgt Muralidhar gallantly dragging the unconscious pilot from the wreckage; Mehra flew with the squadron throughout the war and later rose through the ranks to become Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). Another future CAS – albeit later with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) following independence – flying the Audax at the time was Plt Off Malik Nur Khan.
With ‘A’ Flight remaining at Miranshah until February 1942, it was replaced by ‘B’ Flight and moved to Kohat, where in April that year Sqn Ldr Mehar Singh became the unit’s first Indian CO. By then the IAF had taken on sole responsibility of the watch and ward duties from the RAF and, as a result, a detachment of Audax was sent to Hyderabad in Sindh for operations against the spiritual leader Pir of Pagaro’s Hur community the following month. Conducting bombing and strafing missions, the unit also provided air support to 152 (Indian) Parachute Battalion, which had been dropped from ungainly Vickers Valentia twin-engined transports; the action against the Hurs was completed in August.

Cobra pioneers: From left, Plt Offs Jaswant Singh, unknown, Ashar Khan and Mohammed Muktar Ahmad Cheema, Flt Lt Henry Runganadhan and Plt Offs Malik Nur Khan and Mohammed Akhtar pose with Audax K5581/MR-D at Kohat, circa 1943
“In the first strike on June 27, pilots scored four direct hits despite poor visibility”
However, on July 30 during a tactical reconnaissance over the Frontier close to Datta Khel in northern Waziristan, 3 Squadron suffered its first casualties when Plt Off Zal Beram Sanjana and Sgt Jayakumar Arye died when Audax K4856 crashed. Although operational patrols across the Frontier continued into 1943, the area generally remained quiet. Nonetheless, despite the difficult mountainous territory, the squadron continued to support the Tochi Scouts and other units on the ground by providing reconnaissance and dropping both messages and supplies.
In September, then under the command of Sqn Ldr Prithipal Singh, 3 Squadron moved to Risalpur and converted to the Hurricane Mk.IIc ‘Hurribomber'. After conducting gunnery and low-level attack training at Phaphamau and Ranchi, the unit returned to Kohat in February 1944. With detachments continuing to Miranshah throughout that year to police the Frontier, 3 Squadron continued in action against warring Pathan tribes. On April 13, more than 30 ground attack missions were flown against prescribed targets, during which 64 250lb bombs were dropped. However, when returning from the sixth raid, Fg Off Lal Singh in LA128 and Fg Off d’Eca in LD371 collided and crashed near the fort at Dosali.

Aircraft types flown​

Hawker Audax Oct 1941-Aug 1942
Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc Feb 1943-Jun 1945
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII, Mk.XIV Jun 1945-Apr 1946
Hawker Tempest F.2 Apr 1946-Nov 1952
De Havilland Vampire FB.52 Dec 1952-Dec 1953
Dassault MD.450 Toofani (Ouragan) Jan 1954-Apr 1958
Dassault Mystère IV Apr 1958-Mar 1972
Mikoyan-Guerevich MiG-21FL, bis, UPG Bison Apr 1972-current

During an intensive period of bombing around Marghai on June 27, 1944, 3 Squadron’s Fg Off Dilip Kumar Bose flew Hurricane Mk.IIc KZ371/R twice in support of Tochi Scouts on the ground

Operational hack: 3 Squadron’s Harvard Mk.IIB (FE971) was occasionally used for reconnaissance. It is seen here over the North West Frontier Province, circa 1943-44
Although Lal was killed, d’Eca baled out of his stricken machine and was soon rescued by the Tochi Scouts they had been supporting.
June was the squadron’s busiest month on the NWFP, with the pilots primarily being assigned tactical reconnaissance, direct support – including dropping supplies – and artillery spotting. However, towards the end of the month the unit commenced an intensive four day bombing campaign around Marghai against rebel gun positions that had opened fire on the fort at Ghariom. The first strike took place on the 27th, with Flt Lt Dalip Singh Majithia leading five other Hurricanes; the pilots scored four direct hits despite poor visibility. With another six raids mounted throughout the day, six more followed the day after with another four on June 29-30. The trouble subsided thereafter. Attacking in the face of intense small arms fire, four Hurricanes were damaged during these missions.
Despite the much-needed priority towards the campaign against the Japanese forces that threatened India’s eastern borders, it was Air HQ policy to maintain two IAF squadrons on the NWFP. However, at the end of the year 3 Squadron was told to prepare for a move to Burma – today’s Myanmar.

Burmese bridge busters​

Thus, in mid-January 1945, the squadron relocated to an unpaved ‘kutcha’ strip at Bawli Bazaar on the Arakan Front which, at that time, was the scene of intense fighting against the Japanese. Sadly, on January 31, Sqn Ldr Prithbal Singh was killed when his Hurricane crashed during a practice dogfight. Subsequently, Sqn Ldr Shivdev Singh took command, and under him 3 Squadron began operations – bringing the number of IAF units in the country to seven. However, the squadron was hampered by the delayed arrival of its heavy equipment. The unit finally began operations in earnest during the morning of February 4 when the CO, flying PJ717, led a 12-aircraft attack against a concrete road bridge at Kangan Kywebusek. Four days later, Singh headed an offensive recce of Chanchang, before leading a destructive strike on the Japanese on the 13th. It was reported between 60-80% of the targets were damaged. Thereafter, the squadron continued to mount a single maximum effort strike each day (usually led by the CO or flight commander, Flt Lt Minoo Merwan Engineer) as the momentum of the advance down the coast increased. The squadron also provided close air support to the 82nd (West African) Division throughout, including its assault on the village of Letmauk on the 18th.
“Our boys were in like a flash and in no time the whole place was ablaze with burning tanks and vehicles”
In early March, 3 Squadron moved 75 miles south to Dabang and from there bombed a Japanese battery on the 9th. The following day, two dozen Hurribombers from 3 and 9 Squadrons flew a wing attack against transport, artillery and troop concentrations near Tin Chaung. Friendly forces positioned on a ridge less than 1,000 yards away marked the target with smoke and the resultant deluge of bombs further paralysed the Japanese withdrawal.
Two days later the IAF was granted the title Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF) in honour of its performance and efforts during the war. As if to celebrate, on March 13, Flt Lt Minoo Engineer led the squadron against a Japanese train southeast of Thinchaung and troop concentrations dug in around Taungap. During this time, the CO occasionally flew army officers in the unit’s Harvard ‘hack’ to view potential targets.
On March 29, Minoo Engineer led an effective attack against enemy troops dug in on a strategic hill in support of the 2/13 Frontier Force Rifles. The strike was so effective that the position was occupied without opposition. At the beginning of April, Minoo Engineer headed several road-blocking sorties, while Flt Lt Misra led attacks on targets in the Taungup pass area using delayed action bombs. On April 11, the bridge southeast of Thin Chaung was successfully destroyed by six Hurricanes led by Flt Lt Mehra, while another seven pairs conducted counterbattery attacks on enemy artillery positions. The following day, Flt Lt Minoo Engineer led a 12-aircraft attack in co-operation with 9 Squadron, under the guidance of a visual control post situated nearby, relaying target information. It was to be 3 Squadron’s final action of the war, having flown almost 500 operational sorties against the Japanese. Withdrawn several days later, the unit moved in stages to St Thomas Mount near Madras (now Chennai) to be re-equipped. For his actions in the Arakan, Flt Lt Minoo Engineer was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Trauma of partition​

In September 1945, 3 Squadron returned to Risalpur where it received its first Spitfire Mk.VIIIs the following month. Commencing a leisurely transition and training period, Sqn Ldr Mehra assumed command on December 28.
In February 1946, the unit moved south to Kolar in central India where in June it became the first RIAF unit to receive the Centaurus powered Tempest Mk.II.

The Hawker Tempest's size is evident here as groundcrew prepare 3 Squadron’s PR836/Q for a sortie at Risalpur in early 1947. Note the aircraft carries a complement of 3in rocket projectiles under the wing

​

 

[Fatman17]

Emblems, symbols and distinctions​

Badge: The insignia shows a clenched fist, grasping a winged Waziri dagger entwined by a Cobra. The motto in Hindi is Lakshya Vedh, which translates as ‘Destroy target with precision’, or simply 'On target’, and was approved by King George VI in 1947
Squadron Battle Honours: Burma 1945, Chhamb-Jaurian 1965, Lahore-Kasur 1965

At Ambala during the mid-1950s, a 3 Squadron Toofani is seen moments from touching down, as others are prepared for their next sorties
As more aircraft were delivered the squadron’s conversion gathered pace and by the end of the year it was deemed operational.
In January 1947, Sqn Ldr Mohan Dev Suri was appointed CO, before leading the unit to Poona (now Pune) in India’s west. Three months later the squadron returned to Risalpur and from there sent a detachment of Tempests to Miranshah to police the NWFP in late May. Initially, the pilots were tasked with routine patrols, but on July 4 Fg Off Syed Inam-Ul-Rehman Bokhari in Tempest F.2 PR557 attacked rebel positions with rockets (R/P – rocket projectile) during a gun-spotting sortie. There were several further R/P strikes over the following days with the unit’s last sortie over the Frontier being a road recce on the 21st. Four days later it handed over the role to the Tempests of 1 Squadron. As India’s independence approached, 3 Squadron left Risalpur – which would be located in the newly formed state of Pakistan – and returned to Poona. However, with sovereignty coming into effect on August 15, the newly independent India entered a period of trauma and uncertainty; several princely states refused to join the Dominion. One such example was Hyderabad where the Nizam sought to maintain its independent status, resulting in a brief military action dubbed Operation Polo, commencing on September 13.

De Havilland Vampire FB.52 ‘IB1695’ of 3 Squadron at Ambala Air Force Station between sorties, during the type’s short 12-month tenure with the unit
“Despite its obsolescent equipment, the Cobras performed with distinction”
Flying from Gannavaram, 3 Squadron’s Tempests provided air cover to the 1st Armoured Division and 2/5 Gurkhas during their assault and subsequent capture of Suriapet. With operations beginning at dawn, the unit attacked the airstrip at Warangol, the camp at Gulborga and strafed several strongholds. However, the intensity of the action was low, and the hostilities ended on the 18th. Sadly, ten days later Sqn Ldr Mohan Dev Suri was killed when his aircraft crashed in bad weather over the Western Ghats; Sqn Ldr Anand Pandit succeeded him as CO.

Jet age​

Continuing with Tempests into the 1950s, by mid-1952 the unit was again based on the front line at Ambala in northwest India as tensions with Pakistan over the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir began to heighten.
At the end of the year, under the leadership of Sqn Ldr Anant Samsi, 3 Squadron re-equipped with the IAF’s first jet – the Vampire FB.52. However, its time with the de Havilland type was brief as in January 1954, just as Sqn Ldr John Jasper ‘Pop’ Bouche assumed command, the Cobras re-equipped with French-built Dassault Ouragans, dubbed the Toofani (Hindi for Hurricane) in Indian service.
Following a lengthy period of armament instruction at Jamnagar, 3 Squadron was declared operational and continued training to maintain that standard through the mid- 1950s. In January 1956, Flt Lt Jagat Lowe carried out the first crash-landing of a Toofani when the nosewheel failed to lower. In May the following year, Sqn Ldr Subhan Ranjan Bose took command and led 3 Squadron east to Kalaikunda in West Bengal, where it converted to the Dassault Mystère IV in the day-fighter role in 1958. With six pilots sent to France for instruction, their experience led to conversion training being completed by June – though not without incident, as Fg Off Sahni was forced to eject during a training flight.

Destined for 3 Squadron, Dassault Mystère IV ‘IA-1012’ taxies for departure from Nicosia in Cyprus for the next stage of its delivery flight from France in 1958
Among the 3 Squadron pilots was Lt Ram Tahiliani of the Indian Navy. Attached to the unit to gain jet experience, he later rose to become Chief of the Naval Staff. In September 1963, 3 Squadron moved to the forward airfield at Pathankot in the Punjab, close to the Pakistani border, and from where it would return to action.
In August 1965, the IAF prepared for combat as skirmishes with Pakistan occurred across the Rann of Kutch in the Thar Desert.

The camouflage of MiG-21bis ‘C2312’ blends in with its surroundings while deployed to Pathankot during the late 1980s. Note the 3 Squadron badge and cobra artwork visible on the nose

Indo-Pakistan wars​

Commanded by Wg Cdr Paul Roby since April that year, the unit increased its training intensity and flew several border recce sorties. On the evening of September 1, Pakistani armour crossed the border in the Chamb sector, resulting in Mystères from both 3 and 31 Squadrons providing air support for the Indian Army’s 191 Brigade. Attacking in elements of four, 16 sorties were flown over a 45-minute period that claimed 14 Patton tanks and other motor transport destroyed with cannon and rockets. Several Vampires were lost to PAF fighters during the assault. Shortly after the strike, a contemporary report noted: “Our boys were in like a flash and in no time the whole place was ablaze with burning tanks and vehicles.”
The following day, 3 Squadron covered a recce mission mounted by 31 Squadron. Repeated the day after, the unit went on to conduct further strikes. On September 6, as the Indian XI Corps attempted a counter-offensive, the Mystères flew a raid in the morning then continued interdiction missions against Pakistani supply routes.
However, that evening as the last aircraft landed, PAF F-86 Sabres attacked Pathankot and destroyed four of the unit’s Mystères on the ground, along with two from 31 Squadron, two MiG-21 Fishbeds, a Gnat and a C-119 twin-engine transport. A retaliatory attack was mounted the following day, the first of which – a three-ship led by Sqn Ldr Jasbir Singh – found the enemy airfields at Chander and Rahwali abandoned and instead attacked a radar site at Rahwali.
Tragically, Singh's Mystère was possibly hit by ground fire – it crashed and he was killed. The squadron continued flying daily interdiction and close air support missions, with notable success against Pakistani armour in the Chawinda area on the 19th, when a sizeable concentration was destroyed. But three days later, in its last mission of the war, Fg Off Prem Ramchandani was shot down near Lahore and later died of his wounds. During this campaign, 3 Squadron had flown 290 sorties.

A 3 Squadron MiG-21UPG Bison (closest) formates with a pair of RAF Tornado F.3s from 25 Squadron and a Mirage 2000 close to India’s Gwalior during Exercise Indradhanush (Hindi for Rainbow) in 2006
Although it initially remained on high alert, the squadron returned to routine activity over the rest of the 1960s. But tensions heightened over the Indian-supported independence movement in Bengali, East Pakistan. As a result, in July 1971 Wg Cdr Rabhindar Dogra led the squadron east to Hindon near Delhi. This was later followed by a flight being detached to Sirsa in the Punjab.
On December 3, the frictions finally erupted into open warfare. Subsequently, the Cobras’ Mystères opened their latest campaign two days later with a successful interdiction strike against targets in the Christan Mandi area, where a fuel train was destroyed. Across the succeeding days, the unit attacked troops and armour concentrations, along with ammunition dumps inside West Pakistan around Haveli Pattan and on the border at Fazilka. Later, communications targets, including railway yards and bridges, were hit, greatly hampering the Pakistani armour’s forward movement. However, 3 Squadron also suffered losses – on December 13 Sqn Ldr Jatinder Das Kumar was shot down and killed in Mystère IV ‘IA-1331’ while conducting a photo-recce sortie over Sulaimanki. Then, on the 17th, shortly before the ceasefire, a Mystère flown by Flt Lt Tonkeshwar Das suffered an engine failure over Haveli. He ejected and was later rescued. Despite its obsolescent equipment, the Cobras performed with distinction and, as a result, both the CO and Sqn Ldr Jasjit Singh were awarded the Vir Chakra for “acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy”.

The MiG years​

Following the war, 3 Squadron returned to Hindan. In January 1972, it began converting to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21FL Fishbed, in what was the start of an association with the type that continues today. Three years later, it returned to Pathankot under Wg Cdr Madan Mohan Sharma, for an intensive routine of training, exercises and, above all, operational readiness; 3 Squadron was again on the front line of India’s defences against Pakistan. During July 1980, when Wg Cdr Uday Singh Lagad was at the helm, the MiG-21FLs were exchanged for upgraded MiG- 21bis airframes, and by October was fully equipped. Training was not without risks though – two jets were lost during 1989. With the IAF’s MiG-21s in continuous development, in 2002 the unit received the MiG-21UPG, which included modernised radar and weapons. With its updated aircraft, known as the Bison, the squadron participated in joint exercises with RAF Tornado F.3s during 2006.

 

[Fatman17]

Nearing its 80th anniversary, 3 Squadron still has a key role as part of the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command.

Commanding Officer Sqn Ldr Shivdev Singh (seated fifth from left) poses with his pilots at Akyab in April 1945 during 3 Squadron’s tour on the Arakan Front

Originally published in FlyPast Magazine​

 

[Fatman17]

Nearing its 80th anniversary, 3 Squadron still has a key role as part of the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command.

Commanding Officer Sqn Ldr Shivdev Singh (seated fifth from left) poses with his pilots at Akyab in April 1945 during 3 Squadron’s tour on the Arakan Front

Originally published in FlyPast Magazine​

Two future PAF Air Chiefs were part of 3 Squadron.
Air Marshal Asghar Khan
Air Marshal Nur Khan

 

[Justin TruDont]

No 3 squadron will probably receive TEJAS MK1A next year

I believe, Modi will use this as an opportunity to show his focus on aatmanirbhar Bharat
IAF will have 16 Tejas Mk1a by Aug 2025, thats enough to replace mig21 Bisons
of the No 3 squadron

We could see a ceremonial flypast on Aug 15 with Mig21 Bisons doing their final flight and Tejas MK1a Replacing them in operational service