| No. 23 Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1957 - Present |
| Country |  Republic of India |
| Branch |  Indian Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Garrison/HQ | AFS NAL |
| Nickname(s) | "Panthers" |
| Motto(s) | Amritham Abhayam Immortal and Fearless |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | MiG-21 Bison |
No. 23 Squadron (Panthers) is a fighter squadron and is equipped with MiG-21Bison and based at AFS NAL. [1] [2]
The squadron was raised in the year 1956 and it became the first squadron in Indian Air Force to be commissioned with Folland Gnat. [3]
The squadron was relocated to AFS NAL in June 2024 and will be in use with its sister squadron No. 3 Squadron. The move was done to streamline the maintenance and operability of the last remaining MiG-21. Both the squadron will transition to the newly ordered Tejas Mk1A. [2]
| Aircraft | From | To | Air Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| de Havilland Vampire | November 1956 | January 1960 | |
| Folland Gnat | February 1960 | January 1978 | |
| MiG-21 bis | February 1978 | July 2005 | |
| MiG-21 Bison | July 2005 | June 2024 | AFS Suratgarh |
| June 2024 | Present | AFS NAL |
No. 35 Squadron IAF (Rapiers) was an electronic warfare and air superiority squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF). It was based at Bakshi Ka Talab Airforce Station, No. 35 Squadron came under the Central Air Command; and along with No. 108 Squadron formed an operational wing of the IAF. As of 2017, it was equipped with MiG-21M aircraft. The squadron was number plated in 2019.
No. 22 Squadron (Swifts) was a CAS unit based out of Hasimara AFS. Along with No. 222 Squadron IAF Tiger Sharks, No. 22 Squadron forms a part of the 16 Wing of the IAF. The squadron operated MiG-27 till December 2017 and the squadron number-plated since then.
The No. 3 Squadron IAF (Cobras) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) operates as a Close Air Support (CAS) and reconnaissance unit. Currently based at NAL Air Force Station, it falls under the Western Air Command, and forms the 46 wing of the IAF.
During the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, the Indian and Pakistani Air Forces engaged in large-scale aerial combat for the first time. In the air war, which took place in September, both air forces conducted thousands of defensive and offensive sorties over Indian and Pakistani airspace. Both India and Pakistan claimed victory in the air war; Pakistan claimed to have destroyed 104 Indian aircraft and lost 19, and India claimed to have destroyed 73 Pakistani aircraft and lost 35 of its own. The air war ended in a stalemate.
The No. 24 Electronic Warfare Squadron, nicknamed the Blinders, is an electronic warfare unit of the Pakistan Air Force equipped with DA 20EW Faclons. It is the PAF's only Electronic Warfare squadron and undertakes EW, ECM and ESM missions while also training Pilots, Air Defense controllers and engineering officers in EW environments.
No. 18 Squadron, is an air-defence unit of the Indian Air Force, flying from Sulur Air Force Station. The squadron is equipped with indigenous HAL Tejas MK1 in FOC configuration.
No. 21 Squadron IAF (Ankush), is an Air Defence and Ground Attack unit of the Indian Air Force, operating from Sirsa AFS, as part of 12 Wing of Western Air Command. The squadron was number plated on an unspecified date.
No. 24 Squadron (Hawks) IAF is an Air Defence squadron of the Indian Air Force, operating from Bareilly AFS.
No. 27 Squadron IAF is a Ground Attack and Close Air Support squadron of the Indian Air Force, operating from Gorakhpur AFS, under Central Air Command.
Sirsa Air Force Station or Sirsa AFS is an Indian Air Force base under Western Air Command, located at Sirsa in the state of Haryana, India.
No. 48 Squadron is a unit of the Indian Air Force assigned to Maintenance Command. The Squadron participates in operations involving air, land and airdrop of troops, equipment, supplies, and support or augment special operations forces, when appropriate.
No. 32 Squadron (Thunderbirds) is a fighter squadron of Indian Air Force. It was equipped with Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21Bison and was based at Jodhpur Air Force Station as part of South Western Air Command. The squadron was number plated in December 2016.
No. 37 Squadron is a fighter squadron and was equipped with MiG-21 M and based at Jodhpur Air Force Station.
No. 47 Squadron IAF is a fighter squadron equipped with MiG-29UPGs based at Adampur Air Force Station.
No. 51 Squadron "Sword Arms" was a fighter squadron of the Indian air force, based in Srinagar Air Force Station. The squadron was under the western command of Indian Air Force.
The No. 101 Squadron (Falcons) is an Indian Air Force fighter aircraft squadron which is equipped with the Dassault Rafale and is based at the Hasimara Air Force Station.
No. 220 Squadron is a fighter squadron and is equipped with Su-30 MKIs and based at Halwara Air Force Station.
No. 45 Squadron Indian Air Force is a Fighter Squadron internally based at Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu. The squadron operates the indigenous HAL Tejas fighter from 1 July 2016. The squadron was initially based at Bangalore, Karnataka and later shifted to its main base in Sulur from 1 June 2018.
Group Captain Virendera Singh Pathania, VrC, VM, was an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot reputed for making the first confirmed aerial dogfight kill of independent India when he shot down a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Sabre Jet with his Folland Gnat on 4 September 1965. For this action, he was awarded the Vir Chakra.
Squadron Leader Ghani Akbar SJ ,is a retired Pakistani fighter pilot and former officer in the Pakistan Air Force. He is best known for taking part in the devastating blitzkrieg on the Pathankot airbase in India during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, in which he doubled back and initiated a second attack on the airbase against the orders of his commanding officer Sajad Haider. Additionally, his formation destroyed 13 Indian aircraft including nine MiG-21s.
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