No. 44 Squadron IAF
| No. 44 Squadron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | April 1961 - Present |
| Country | India |
| Role | Transport |
| Garrison/HQ | AFS Nagpur |
| Nickname(s) | "Mighty Jets" |
| Motto(s) | Ishtam Yatnen Sadhyetah Achieve Goals with Perseverance |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Transport | IL-76MD |
No. 44 Squadron is a unit of the Indian Air Force assigned to Maintenance Command. The Squadron participates in operations involving air, land and air-drop of troops, equipment, supplies, and support or augment special operations forces, when appropriate.
History
The Squadron undertook extensive air maintenance sorties in the Ladakh and J&K Sectors. This earned the squadron the emblem of "Himalayan Geese" which was formally approved by the then President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on 26 May 1966.
In 1971 Indo-Pak Conflict, the squadron proved its mettle by innovating and effectively employing AN-12s in the bombing role in the Western theatre. Notably, 44 Squadron is the only transport squadron of the Indian Air Force to be conferred the Battle Honours, a feat otherwise reserved for active operational combat units.[1] No. 44 Squadron has flown relief missions to Sri Lanka and Indonesia during the Tsunami disaster, rescuing civilians, and to avalanche victims in Kashmir as well SOS missions to quake-affected Iran.[2]
Lineage
- Constituted as No. 44 Squadron (Mighty Jets) on 6 April 1961[3]
- Designated the emblem of "Himalayan geese" on 26 May 1966
Assignments
- Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
- Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
- 1988 Maldives coup d'état
- Hurricane Katrina disaster relief