Anchit Gupta Profile picture
Feb 3, 2022 6 tweets 7 min read Read on X
Ambala, home of the Rafale, was the first @IAF_MCC Stn HQ (independent India) and was formed on 1 April 1938. This historic document sanctions its formation and the move of 1 Sqn to Ambala after 5 years at Drigh Road, Karachi. #IAFHistory (1/5)
The peacetime establishment of the Air Force Station HQ was 12 personnel, including three officers headed by a Wg Cdr. Ambala would end up becoming the training cradle of IAF all the way till 1951, thereafter was converted into a Fighter wing and remains so to this date. (2/5)
The Air Force Station HQ was necessitated by the permanent presence of two Sqns - No. 1 IAF and No. 28 (AC) RAF Sqn as explained in the note below. A Flight of No. 1 Sqn would move in June 1938 finally. Ambala mess would have 1 Sqn, IAF and 28 Sqn, RAF crest side by side! (3/5)
Wg Cdr AB Awan, the founding member of IAF and 1 Sqn, describes this momentous occasion in his memoirs. 1 Sqn was finally moving out of its infancy with this move to Ambala. (4/5)
The first page of the Operations Record Book for AF Stn HQ, Ambala shows the setup being implemented in the first few months - officers being posted in and units moving in. Who knew what was in store for colloquial "Umbala"(5/5)

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More from @AnchitGupta9

May 17
1/
There's growing confusion between two important systems:

👉🏽 Akashteer
👉🏽 IACCS
Both play crucial roles in India’s air defence.
But let’s be clear — they operate at different altitudes — literally and metaphorically.
Here’s how 👇 (1/8)

#IAFHistory Image
But, let’s get some history, geography and law right.

History: The Network Centric Warfare (NCW) concept was first developed by Vice Admiral Arthur Cebrowski (US Navy) and John Garstka in 1998. It envisioned linking forces digitally to enhance situational awareness and increase warfighting effectiveness.

2/Image
📕 Let’s talk law — the Union War Book is India’s master document on war responsibilities.

Until 1993, there was no single agency for air defence.
Each service did its bit, and consequently the Army built up significant frontline/terminal AD assets.
Then came a historic shift:

🛡️ “Air Defence of the country is the responsibility of the IAF.”

3/Image
Read 8 tweets
May 17
As we rightly marvel at the IACCS Air Defence system in action earlier this month…

What many forget is that the trigger for IACCS wasn't war.
It was this:
➡️ The Purulia Arms Drop of 1995.
🛩️ Crates of AKs parachuted into Bengal, and no one saw it coming.
🧵👇

#IAFHistoryImage
17 Dec 1995. A Latvian AN-26 aircraft drops weapons over Purulia.

Undetected. Unchallenged.
India was stunned.
A Group of Ministers review followed—and a national embarrassment turned into a call for reform.

At the heart of it: India’s airspace surveillance. 2/
Among the key recommendations -

✅ Procurement of an Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS) for the IAF.
Initial approval: ₹585 Cr for 5 systems.
Approved in principle by Raksha Mantri (1999) & CCS (2001).

But that was just the beginning… 3/
Read 12 tweets
May 12
I promised to be back with the @IAF_MCC and Sargodha love affair.

Yes, @akshaykumar's Sky Force showed 1965 — but let me tell you about 1971.

This time, it was India’s newly formed Top Gun school — TCDTS — that painted the skies above Sargodha.

Buckle up. 🧵👇 Image
What’s TCDTS?
Formed in 1971, the Tactics and Combat Development & Training Squadron was the IAF’s brainchild for fighter combat.
Based at Adampur, it was packed with the crème de la crème — handpicked MiG-21 and Su-7 pilots who’d go on to rewire enemy expectations. Image
Before war broke out, these elite pilots were already tasked with rewriting air combat playbooks.
But in December 1971, they were ordered to do something unheard of:
Fly low-level night strikes on heavily defended PAF bases — including the crown jewel: Sargodha.
Read 10 tweets
May 9
SAVING FISH OIL: THE BATTLE FOR AMRITSAR RADAR, 1965 🇮🇳

29 PAF missions. Napalm. Rockets. Machine guns.

And the first-ever combat use of the now famous L-70 gun— in the world.

Col Mandeep Singh’s riveting account is a must-read. Sharing the highlights 🧵(1/18)

#IAFHistoryImage
During the Indo-Pak war of 1965, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched multiple missions to destroy the Indian Air Force's (IAF) radar installation near Amritsar, codenamed 'Fish Oil'. Here's how the IAF's defenses stood firm. 2/
The Amritsar radar, a Soviet-made P-30(M), was operated by 230 Signal Unit and was crucial for early warning, covering deep into Pakistani territory. Its strategic importance made it a prime target for the PAF. 3/
Read 18 tweets
May 9
No better time to learn the evolution of India’s shield in the skies. #AirDefenceDay

Sharing #IAFHistory deep dives on how @IAF_MCC built a layered defence — radar by radar, missile by missile.

How we rose to meet tech, tactical, and strategic challenges - blunted raids.🧵 Image
This goes back into time from 1944 onwards when Radars came to use by IAF and ends with how we used them effetively in the 1965 and 1971 Wars, after massive struggles.

2/

iafhistory.in/2022/04/07/eye…
After the 1965 war, India’s radar and communication gaps were exposed, especially after losing US assistance. What followed was a remarkable, yet largely untold, story of ingenuity and indigenisation, ADGES as it came to be known!

3/

iafhistory.in/2024/10/12/the…
Read 5 tweets
Apr 6
#OTD in 1993, 25 women aeronautical engineers were inducted into the @IAF_MCC as Pilot Officers. Until then, the only women officers were in the medical branch. Standing tall and resolute, they shattered barriers and paved the way for countless others. (1/7)

#IAFHistory Image
These 25 young women—engineers from across India—joined the Air Force Technical College (AFTC) in Jalahalli, Bangalore.

They had cleared a rigorous selection process from 25,000 applicants. The IAF was serious. The bar was high.

2/ Image
Their training regime mirrored that of male cadets:

🕔 Report by 5:00 AM
🪖 Drill and parade
📚 Aeronautics and engineering classes
🏃‍♀️ Physical training and sports
🍽️ Strict mess discipline
🌙 Lights out at 10:00 PM

3/ Image
Read 7 tweets

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