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Anchit Gupta

@AnchitGupta9

Feb 8, 2022 • 6 tweets • 3 min read • Read on X

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@IAF_MCC

The hereto unknown, intertwined link of 12 Sqn @IAF_MCC , Navigation Training School, Airspeed Oxford aircraft, and Risalpur. Contrary to popular belief, it emerges that 12 Sqn, soon after its formation in Dec 1945, was also dual-hatting as a Nav Trg School #IAFHistory (1/6)

12 Sqn was equipped with Airspeed Oxford aircraft between Jan-Aug 1946 and was to be the first Transport Sqn in IAF. It also carried a special role - to train the first Navigators in the IAF. The 1st course was put in motion on 1 April 1946, at Risalpur (2/6)

Apart from lectures, two oxfords were dedicated for navigation training. The first Course only included qualified observers. On 15 July 1946, 5 of the officers were posted to Empire Air Navigation School for Advanced Course and remaining were posted on 15 Aug 1946 to Sqns. (3/6)

Two instructors were posted in - Flying Officer EJ Whiting GD(N), RAF and F/O KM Agerwala (1648) GD(O). It can be surmised he was the first "Navigator" and surely the first Nav instructor in the IAF. He probably went to the UK prior to March 1946 to be trained. (4/6)

12 Sqn moved to Bhopal in June. Another 26 officers and cadets joined Nav school. They would move out by August. On 15 Aug 46, Agerwala was posted out. On 1 Sep 1946, Navigation Training School started at Tambaram. KM Agerwala retired as ACAS (plans), his feat undocumented. (5/6)

It bears mention that prior to this the IAF commissioned Observers whose duties were predominantly reconnaissance, and is a legacy term from WWI. So, this is a record of the first true blood Navigators of the IAF who now also undertake duties of WSOs. (6/6)

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More from @AnchitGupta9

Anchit Gupta

@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_MCC

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/

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

Anchit Gupta

@AnchitGupta9

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

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/

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/

Read 15 tweets

Anchit Gupta

@AnchitGupta9

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 #IAFHistory

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/

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/

Read 16 tweets

Anchit Gupta

@AnchitGupta9

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)

#IAFHistory

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/

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/

Read 19 tweets

Anchit Gupta

@AnchitGupta9

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:

1/ - Why parade matters even now?

2/ - steady mind why?

Read 21 tweets

Anchit Gupta

@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

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/

📕 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/

Read 8 tweets

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