| No. 47 Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | 18 December 1959 - Present |
| Country |  Republic of India |
| Branch |  Indian Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Garrison/HQ | Adampur AFS |
| Nickname(s) | "Black Archers" |
| Motto(s) | Karmani Vyaprutham Dhanuhu My bow is ready for task |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Mig-29UPG |
No. 47 Squadron (Black Archers) is a fighter squadron and is equipped with MiG-29UPG and based at Adampur Air Force Station. [1]
Formation No. 47 Squadron was raised on 18 December 1959 at Halwara with Sqn Ldr Denis Anthony La Fontaine as squadron commander. Air Vice Marshal S Subbaramu (that time Fg Offr) had ferried in the squadron's first Toofani the day before. Despite a shortage of personnel, equipment, working tools and other teething troubles, the infant squadron had the honor participating in the Republic Day flypast on 26 January 1960. And shortly thereafter in March 1960, the squadron took part in the 27th anniversary display at Bombay. [2]
1965 War On 2 September 1965, five Toofanis were detached for the air defence of Tezpur. A further four aircraft were detached for the defence of Guwhati. The squadron was led in to these operation by Sqn Ldr P Venugopal and was appointed as SASO HQ (TC). A lone Toofani was left behind because of certain snags. The remaining crew of the squadron stayed back at Halwara for army co-operation in the Western sector. [2]
Entering the Supersonic age On 23 March 1968, after a long stint in the East, the Black Archers exchanged the aging Toofanis for new MiG-21FLs at Chandigarh. In February 1969, the squadron was tasked with the air defence of Delhi and was relocated to Hindon. The squadron stayed here for the next two years. [2]
1971 war The squadron took a very active part in the 1971 war against Pakistan. Although its primary mission was air defence and it flew a number of counter air missions over Badin airfield. The Squadron was led in these operations by Wg Cdr HS Gill VM. During the war the squadron stationed detachments at Jamnagar, Halwara, Palam and Hindon. The Jamnagar detachment was most active and has to its credit a confirmed Starfighter (F-104) kill and a further probable. On 12 December 1971, Sqn Ldr BB Soni shot down an F-104 as it attempted to attack Jamnagar. [2]
In November 1973, the Black Archers moved to Halwara, its formation base. For next five years, the squadron stayed there. Its proximity of Sidhwan Khas range gave the opportunity to the pilots to hone their skills and achieve a high level of proficiency in air-to-ground work. [2]
In January 1978, the squadron moved on to its new location at Chabua where it was to remain for the next seven years. In November 1980, Wg Cdr MS Vasudeva VM intercepted, identified and photographed an intruding Chinese IL-18. In May 1985 the Black Archers was relocated to Hashimara. [2]
Switching to Fulcrums The squadron re-formed on MiG-29s at Pune in May 1987. While at Pune, the squadron underwent exhaustive training to prepare a viable pilot fleet for the new aircraft. Being the first to operate the MiG-29, the task of reviewing all the tactics and develop them for the sound operational effectiveness fell on the Black Archers. In February 1996, the squadron received new aircraft: four fighters and a trainer. [2]
In March 1997, the squadron moved to Adampur under the command of Wg Cdr KP Nair. This move was completed in record time and the squadron was operational within 7 days of its coming to Adampur. During Kargil conflict the squadron went on full alert and deployed detachments as far as Jamnagar. [2]
| Aircraft Type | From | To | Air Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toofani | Dec 1959 | Mar 1968 | AFS Halwara [6] |
| MiG-21 FL | Feb 1969 | May 1987 | AFS Chandigarh |
| MiG-29 | Jun 1989 | Till Date | AFS Adampur |
Surya Kiran is an aerobatics demonstration team of the Indian Air Force. The Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) was formed in 1996 and are a part of the 52nd Squadron of the IAF. The team has since performed numerous demonstrations usually with nine aircraft. The squadron was composed of the HAL HJT-16 Kiran Mk.2 military trainer aircraft till 2011 and were based at the Bidar Air Force Station in Karnataka. The team was suspended in February 2011 and was re-established with Hawk Mk-132 aircraft in 2015.
Number 31 Squadron, known as the Goldstars, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The Squadron lays claim to being the first military unit to fly in India, where it was based from 1915 to 1947. Throughout the Cold War, No. 31 Squadron was based in West Germany, flying from RAF Laarbruch and RAF Brüggen. Between September 1984 and March 2019, the Goldstars operated the Panavia Tornado GR1/4, initially from RAF Brüggen and after August 2001 from RAF Marham, Norfolk. No. 31 Squadron was disbanded on 14 March 2019 at RAF Marham and reformed on 11 October 2023 at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, equipped with the General Atomics Protector RG1.
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.
No. 7 Squadron, Indian Air Force operates as a Special Munitions Delivery and air superiority unit. Based at Gwalior AFB, No.7 Squadron forms a part of 40 Wing AF, Central Air Command.
The No.3 Squadron (Cobras) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) operates as a Close Air Support (CAS) and reconnaissance unit. Currently based at NAL Air Force Station, No. 3 Sqn falls under the Western Air Command, forms the 46 wing of the IAF.
Najeeb Ahmad Khan, commonly known as 8-Pass Charlie, was a Pakistani bomber pilot who raided the Adampur Airbase in India a number of times during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, notably starting a series of airstrikes on the base by a solo raid.
Operation Chengiz Khan was the code name assigned to the preemptive strikes carried out by the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) on the forward airbases and radar installations of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on the evening of 3 December 1971, and marked the formal initiation of hostilities of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The operation targeted 11 of India's airfields and also included artillery strikes on Indian positions in Kashmir. The targets were the Indian Airbases of Amritsar, Ambala, Agra, Awantipur, Bikaner, Halwara, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Pathankot, Bhuj, Srinagar and Uttarlai and air defence radars at Amritsar and Faridkot.
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. 224 Squadron (Warlords) of the IAF is a Ground Attack squadron based at Jamnagar AFS. It was temporarily disbanded in 2007 after the retirement of MiG-23MF aircraft. The unit was resurrected in 2008 with Jaguar Darin II aircraft and continues to operate from Jamnagar.
The Western Air Command (WAC) is the regional command of Indian Air Force headquartered in New Delhi. It is the largest and most important Air Command of the IAF, comprising sixteen Air Force Bases (AFBs), and is responsible for aerial defence of North India.
The Indian Air Force Test Pilot School is a unit of the Indian Air Force (IAF) that evaluates aircraft and systems for induction into user organisations. Most new aircraft types and major airborne systems must have ASTE's stamp of approval to be considered fit for service in India. While many countries have testing facilities of one kind or the other, training of flight test personnel is not often imparted in them. ASTE's Air Force Test Pilots School (AFTPS) is only the fifth such institution in the world.
No. 28 Squadron, Indian Air Force, nicknamed The First Supersonics is a squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF). It is currently based in Adampur, Punjab with the Western Air Command and flies Mikoyan MiG-29s.
No. 16 Squadron Indian Air Force , is a counter-air and interdiction unit, operating out of the Indian Air Force station in Gorakhpur.
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.
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. 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.
Squadron Leader Prashant Kumar Bundela was a fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force who shot down Pakistan Navy Atlantic over the Rann of Kutch soon after the 1999 Kargil War. He received the prestigious Vayusena medal for this operation on 26 January 2000. He died in 2002 in a MiG-21 crash.
Wing Commander Vinod Kumar Neb VrC and Bar is a retired Officer and fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force and a hero of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and Indo- Pakistan War of 1971. He was awarded with medals for bravery twice during his service. He was awarded the Vir Chakra twice for shooting down a Pakistan Air Force Sabres in each war in 1965 and 1971.
| Leadership | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Components & commands |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military academies |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History & future | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
