No. 45 Squadron IAF

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No. 45 Squadron
No.45 squadron patch
Active
  • 20 November 1959 – December 2002
  • 1 July 2016 – present
CountryIndia Republic of India
Branch Indian Air Force
RoleAir superiority
Precision Strike
Combat air patrol
Garrison/HQSulur AFS, Tamil Nadu[1]
Nickname(s)Flying Daggers
Motto(s)Ajithakshay
Invincible in the sky
EngagementsIndo-Pakistani War of 1965
Atlantique shootdown
Decorations
Commanders
Current
commander		Group Captain Surendran M[3]
Aircraft flown
AttackHAL Tejas

No. 45 Squadron Indian Air Force (Flying Daggers) is a Fighter Squadron internally based at Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu.[1] The squadron operates the indigenous HAL Tejas fighter from 1 July 2016.[4] The squadron was initially based at Bangalore, Karnataka and later shifted to its main base in Sulur from 1 June 2018.[1]

History[edit]

The squadron was raised on 15 February 1957,[5] with de Havilland Vampires, as a Ground-Attack and Close Air Support unit. Later The Vampires were replaced by MiG-21Bison. The MiGs which were operated from Naliya were withdrawn from squadron service in 2002. It is the first operational squadron of the indigenous fighter jet HAL Tejas.[4] The squadron operated from HAL Airport,[6] Bangalore for nearly two years before it moved to its designated locations at Sulur near Coimbatore.[7] It is also the first fighter squadron to be part of the Southern Air Command of IAF headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram. Group Captain Madhav Rangachari is the first commanding officer.

Indo-Pakistan War of 1965[edit]

Wreckage of one of the No. 45 Squadron Vampires which were shot down by PAF F-86 Sabres.

On 1 September 1965, during the Indo-Pakistani War, No. 45 Squadron IAF responded to a request for strikes against a counter-attack by the Pakistan Army (Operation Grand Slam), and twelve Vampire Mk 52 fighter-bombers were successful in slowing the Pakistani advance. However, the Vampires encountered two PAF F-86 Sabres, in the ensuing dogfight, the outdated Vampires were outclassed. One was shot down by ground fire and another three were shot down by Sabres.[8][9] The Vampires were withdrawn from front line service after these losses.

Atlantique incident[edit]

Indian Air Force No.45 Squadron was involved in the Atlantique incident on 10 August 1999. Two MiG-21 Bison from No.45 Squadron IAF equipped with R-60 missiles intercepted and following warnings issued and hostile action shot down a Pakistan Navy reconnaissance plane.[10][11]

Assignments[edit]

Aircraft[edit]

Aircraft types operated by the squadron[12]

Aircraft Type From To Air Base
de Havilland Vampire 20 November 1959 February 1965 AFS Palam[13]
Mig-21 FL February 1966 July 1973 AFS Chandigarh[13]
July 1973 May 1978 AFS Bareilly[13]
May 1978 April 1982 AFS Jamnagar[13]
Mig-21 bis April 1982 December 2002 AFS Naliya[14]
HAL Tejas MK.1 1 July 2016 30 June 2018 Bangalore
1 July 2018 Present AFS Sulur[15][16]

The squadron has 16 Tejas aircraft in currently in service.[15]

Gallery[edit]

  • Tejas (SP-07) of No. 45 Squadron IAF Flying Daggers in inverted flight
    Tejas (SP-07) of No. 45 Squadron IAF Flying Daggers in inverted flight
  • HAL Tejas IOC variants of Squadron 45 Flying Daggers doing air manoeuvre
    HAL Tejas IOC variants of Squadron 45 Flying Daggers doing air manoeuvre

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Tejas exits Bengaluru, new nest in TN's Sulur". 1 June 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
  2. ^ "2 IAF fighter squadrons, 2 static units get President's Standards & Colours". Indian Express. 8 March 2024.
  3. ^ "LCA Tejas very capable aircraft with world-class missiles: IAF official". Business Standard. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  4. ^ a b "HAL Tejas supersonic fighter jets inducted into Indian Air Force". The Times of India. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  5. ^ "History of IAF". IAF. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  6. ^ Kumar, Chethan (18 May 2018). "Tamil Nadu to build India's next generation defence aircraft". The Economic Times.
  7. ^ "IAF begins establishing first LCA squadron." Deccan Herald. Retrieved 1 July 2016. Archived 20 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Pakistani Air-to-Air Victories, Air Combat Information Group, 2003, archived from the original on 21 December 2012, retrieved 10 June 2009.
  9. ^ (Retd), Air Marshal Trilochan Singh PVSM AVSM VrC VM. "Tank Busting In The Chamb - Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force". bharat-rakshak.com.
  10. ^ "The Atlantique Incident". 1999 Kargil Operations. Bharat Rakshak Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 2 February 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
  11. ^ IAF Scores a Kill !!! Factual Account of Interception Archived 22 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine – Indian Air Force official page Retrieved on 26 July 2007
  12. ^ "No.45 Squadron - Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force". bharat-rakshak.com. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d "'Flying Daggers' Fly Again". Vayu Aerospace. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  14. ^ "No.45 Squadron Flying Daggers". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Breaking news: IAF getting ready to induct more Tejas LCA, 83 Mark 1A fighters in the pipeline | India News | Zee News". zeenews-india-com.cdn.ampproject.org. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Tejas commences ops from Air Force station in Sulur". Deccan Herald. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
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