No. 15 Squadron IAF

No. 15 Squadron
Active	2 August 1951 — February 1953 26 November 1964 — July 2009 2012 — Present
Country	Republic of India
Branch	Indian Air Force
Role	CAS Interdiction Reconnaissance
Garrison/HQ	Sirsa AFS
Nickname	"Flying Lancers"
Mottos	Nihantavya Shatravaha Annihilate the Enemy
Aircraft flown
Attack	Sukhoi Su-30MKI

No. 15 Squadron is a fighter squadron of the Indian Air Force. It was formed on 20 August 1951, and currently operates the Sukhoi Su-30MKI from Sirsa AFS. ^{[1] [2]}

No. 15 Squadron was raised in 1951 at Ambala as part of an emergency wartime expansion. Initially operating with just a handful of Spitfire XVIII taken out from a training role, it was among the four "teen squadrons" set up to bolster the IAF’s strength in anticipation of conflict. ^[3]

Assignments

• Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
• Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

Aircraft

Aircraft types operated by the squadron ^[4]

Aircraft type	From	To	Air base
Supermarine Spitfire VIII	2 August 1951	February 1953	AFS Ambala
Folland Gnat I	26 November 1964	1969
	1969	February 1975	AFS Bagdogra
MiG-21 bis	February 1975	1981	AFS Pune
	1981	July 2009	AFS Bhuj
Su-30 MKI	2012	Present	AFS Sirsa

References

1. "Indian Air Force to raise four more squadrons of Su-30 MKI fighter". 5 October 2012.
2. "IAF's top guns brave extreme Alaska". 11 May 2016.
3. Gupta, Anchit (4 May 2025). "The Emergency Teen Squadrons: IAF's Quiet Expansion in 1951". IAFHistory. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
4. "No.15 Squadron - Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force". bharat-rakshak.com. Retrieved 27 June 2021.