The commanding officer of No. 17 Squadron “Golden Arrows”, Group Captain Amit Gehani (R), and the unit’s top senior non-commissioned officer, Master Warrant Officer Shambhu Nath Raul, receiving the Unit Citation from the IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh.
Hindon Air Force Station, Ghaziabad: The Indian Air Force marked its 93rd anniversary on Wednesday with a ceremony here at the Hindon airbase, where the chief of air staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, presented honours to squadrons that played crucial roles in Operation Sindoor.
Six units received citations for their performance during Operation Sindoor, which was launched after terrorists killed 26 tourists at Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir on April 22. Nine officers were awarded the Vir Chakra, one of India’s highest wartime gallantry decorations, for their roles in the operation.
The citations recognized units operating some of India’s most advanced military hardware, including French-made Rafale fighter jets, Russian-origin Sukhoi-30MKI heavy fighters armed with BrahMos cruise missiles, and the S-400 long-range air-defence system.
Rafale squadron leads strikes
The No. 17 Squadron, known as the Golden Arrows and based at Ambala, received recognition for spearheading precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan on May 7. The unit, which operates 18 Rafale jets acquired from France, also participated in attacks on 11 Pakistani airbases during the operation.
The squadron, resurrected in 2019 after being disbanded three years earlier, has a distinguished history dating to 1955, when it became the first Indian Air Force unit to operate jet fighters. Over the decades, it has flown various aircraft including the De Havilland Vampire, Hawker Hunter and MiG-21.
BrahMos-armed Su-30MKIs hit airbases
The No, 222 Squadron, the Tiger Sharks, received honours for deploying BrahMos cruise missiles against Pakistani military installations. Based at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, the unit operates Sukhoi-30MKI fighters modified to carry the 2.5-tonne, 300-kilometre range missiles.
On May 10, IAF Sukhois launched 15 BrahMos missiles at 11 Pakistani airbases, causing significant damage to air-defence systems and command centres, according to the citation. The BrahMos, developed jointly by India and Russia, is capable of striking targets on land or at sea in all weather conditions.
The squadron, originally raised in 1969, previously operated Sukhoi-7 and MiG-27 aircraft before converting to the Sukhoi-30 platform.
S-400 system proves effectiveness
The No. 2601 Squadron received recognition for operating the S-400 air-defence system during the conflict. The Russian-made system, which combines multiple radar types with long-range surface-to-air missiles, successfully engaged Pakistani aircraft and missiles during the operation.
ACM Singh had described the S-400 as a “game changer” during an address at the Army War College in Mhow in August, stating that the system denied adversaries freedom of operation even within their own territory.
India acquired the S-400 systems from Russia despite American objections, becoming one of only a handful of countries operating the advanced air defence platform.
Additional honours
The air chief also presented citations to the No. 43 Squadron “Ibexes”, which operates An-32 transport aircraft, No. 2232 Squadron “Kestrels”, which deploys loitering munitions, and the 7 Base Repair Depot, responsible for maintaining radar and guided weapons systems.
The nine officers awarded the Vir Chakra included Group Captains Ranjit Singh Sidhu, Manish Arora, Animesh Patney and Kunal Kalra; Wing Commander Joy Chandra; Squadron Leaders Sarthak Kumar, Sidhant Singh and Rizwan Malik; and Flight Lieutenant Arshveer Singh Thakur.
In total, 97 medals across various categories were presented during the ceremony at Hindan, which lies in Ghaziabad district adjoining the national capital.
Operation Sindoor marked a significant escalation in India’s response to cross-border terrorism, with the air force conducting sustained operations over several days in May. The operation demonstrated the capabilities of recently acquired platforms including the Rafale jets, which entered service in 2020, and the air-launched variant of the BrahMos missile system.
