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

Nov 20
The 1971 IAF Chief We Almost Lost

On 20 Nov 1957, Air Cmde PC Lal, then AOC Training Command, hung up his blues and moved to Indian Airlines as GM on a 5 year deputation, to steady a struggling carrier. Few knew this would almost cost India one of its finest Chiefs. (1/12)

#IAFHistory @IAF_MCCImage
As GM, Lal sat on the committee to choose a replacement for the Dakotas. Three contenders were in play: the Avro HS 748, the Fokker Friendship and a Lockheed design. Defence Minister Krishna Menon was keen that India pick the Avro. 2/ Image
There was one problem. The Avro barely existed. No prototype. No flight record. No performance sheets. Not even complete drawings. Menon still wanted an immediate firm order. Lal, responsible for passenger safety, refused to sign. 3/
Read 12 tweets
Oct 21
In 1973, when princely titles were history, Jamnagar’s ruler Shatrusalyasinhji D. Jadeja entered uniform as Honorary Wing Commander. The Indian Air Force did not honour a title; it honoured a man who kept serving after titles stopped mattering. (1/14)

#IAFHistory Image
In 1950, under H.H. Digvijaysinhji's guidance, Jamnagar opened an Indian Air Force station. Roads were laid, land and clearances came quickly, and the base was treated as a civic priority from day one. The bond began as stewardship, not ceremony. 2/ Image
In 1952, Jamnagar gifted an eight-inch silver pilot on wood that went each term to the “most promising” trainee at Jodhpur’s No. 2 Air Force Academy. It rewarded potential over pedigree—an early sign of how the house chose to back the IAF. 3/ Image
Read 15 tweets
Aug 31
Chandigarh × MiG-21: The Unintended Love Affair

Meant to hide at a quiet base, the @IAF_MCC MiG-21 instead made a home at Chandigarh. A six-month stopgap became four decades. The place where the story begins and ends. Here’s how it unfolded. 🧵(1/16)

#MiG21Nuggets #IAFHistoryImage
After Independence, the IAF used “type bases”: Pune had Tempests, Kalaikunda had Mystères, Ambala had Hunters. That tidy system was still in place when the MiG-21 came up for induction. 2/ Image
Image
Before the team left for the USSR, AVM Pinto told CO designate, (then) Wg Cdr Dilbagh Singh the first MiG-21 squadron would go to Adampur—quiet, remote and ideal for secrecy. 3/ Image
Read 16 tweets
Jul 25
This, right here 👇🏽—is the real reason the MiG-21 earned the "flying coffin" tag. No, it wasn’t the LCA delay. No it wasnt the machine or spares itself.

The real cause lies deeper. The data and context are all there. Few connect the dots. Read On. (1/19)

#IAFHistoryImage
I wrote about this in a @timesofindia editorial a few years ago. The MiG-21 earned the “Flying Coffin” tag not because of its airframe—but because we made it carry the weight of our institutional failure between 1980s -2000s. 2/ Image
The MiG-21 entered IAF service in 1963, our first supersonic jet. It demanded a steep learning curve—especially in landing, where speeds exceeded 300 km/h. That was 2–3x faster than subsonic jets like the Vampire. It was not beginner-friendly. 3/ Image
Read 19 tweets
Jun 20
Timeless Wisdom from Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa

In 1950, he addressed the 1st NDA (JSW) Course on their passing out parade.

75 years later, every line still hits home—clear, deep, and startlingly relevant. You can tell he thought hard about what to say.

Whether you’re from the 1st Course or the 148th—this should be read, and re-read.

A thread of 20 quotes i found very powerful:Image
1/ - Why parade matters even now? Image
2/ - steady mind why? Image
Read 21 tweets
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

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