@IAF_MCC has deployed ac beyond their limits in support of forces across the Himalayas. This thread is about their support to Daulet Beg Oldi (DBO) at 16,600 ft AMSL - the epitome of flying skill, endurance, and ingenuity. A story defining IAF itself. #IAFHistory (1/24)
DBO was a halting point on the old Silk Route. 8 km to the north is Shaksgam & Intl border with China, 10 km to north is Karakoram Pass & 9 km east is Aksai Chin. Large flatlands,belie the elevation, with temps dipping to a windy -55C.Its tactically & strategically critical(2/24)
In 1959, strategic reconnaissance Canberra of 106 Sqn overflew DBO and further east. These msns highlighted the Chinese advances. Through the war, they would mount multiple sorties. Randhir Singh and JM Nath (MVC) got invaluable insights. tinyurl.com/mpdn3733 (3/24)
The forward policy paved the way & a post at DBO was setup in April 1961. There was no road connectivity to Leh or DBO - all posts had to be air-maintained. And to get to DBO one had to fly over Khardungla or Changla (5,700 mts) and Saser la - A task beyond any in that era (4/24)
IAF had Dakotas, C-119 Packets, IL-14, and had just inducted the An-12 into service. The Airbases to support Ladakh were Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot & Chandigarh. Srinagar was used in Summer and Jammu and Pkt in Winter, Chd remained for An-12s.
Airstrips in Ladakh were Leh, Fukche, Thoise, Chusul. All Kucha strips except Leh had PSP and required frequent repairs. There was no ATC support (only LoSt VHF set with Army), and no Aviation fuel except in drums that a/c used employing "Sudan" pumps. (6/24)
Except An-12, all a/c were operating above service ceiling. They had no pressurization (Biting cold in cabin), had to carry O2 cyl,icing on leading edges, & contend with tire heating due to high ldg speeds. Could not switch off coz starting impossible due rarified atmos. (7/24)
Back to DBO, IAF would use the Packets and the An-12 in 1961 to service the posts. Packets could land and fly at Fukche and Chusul (14,000 ft). In sep 1961, the Chinese progressed to within 4 miles of DBO and it was decided that DBO should be held - and an airstrip made. (8/24)
IAF responded by enabling a landing & take-off at DBO on 23 July 1962, A Packet ac modified in less than a year to have a J-34 let pack landed and took off with crew, 32 Jawans, and the AOC-in-C of WAC. Read the hair raising story by the captain - tinyurl.com/2v5vazkm (9/24)
Chinese hostilities started on 19 Oct 62, our posts were outgunned. The An-12s continued with Ops, a sortie by Chandan Singh on 20 Oct heard Machine gun hits, completed mission & landed back with 19 bullets. Similarly, Packets continued to land at DBO amidst firing (10/24)
Air Mshl JK Seth flying Packets (12 Sqn), remembers 21 Oct as his saddest. He & two other packets airlifted more than 100 troops, in canvas shoes and no winter clothing from Srinagar to DBO (amidst firing), Only to see them die of frostbite & altitude sickness, abandoned. (11/24)
Mi-4s of 107 HU at Leh were doing a dare delivery of a different order. Inducted in 1960, they moved to makeshift Leh in May 61 and serviced all of Ladakh flying way above service ceilings and landed at even DBO (a feat not done by Mi-8 and Mi-17 for the next 40 years). (12/24)
Mi-4s engines had to be started all night periodically to keep its ops in cold. Its service ceiling was just 10K ft and pilots did roller take-off/ landings at higher alts. While crossing ridges, looked for local heating to use thermals to climb. SK Bhadwar got a VrC (13/24)
On 23rd Oct, DBO was abandoned and troops withdrew. Mi-4s again flew mercy missions, landing in the most difficult cliffs and ridges in shyok in massive cross-winds. Infact the Mi-4 derelict at DBO was a result of a running Mi-4 being hit by dropping supplies.. (14/24)
KL "Kiddo" Narayanan also got a VrC for his acts with 107 HU. He was also involved in a daring rescue, earning him an AVSM in the same sector earlier in 1962, described in this thread here -
Kiddo would become the first Rotary ETP in IAF (15/24)
Chinese did not capture DBO as it was beyond their claim line. In 1963, DBO post was re-equipped with troops from ITBP and Packets continued landings till an earthquake in 1966 damaged the Kutcha airstrip. An-12s would continue to supply drops well into the 80s. (16/24)
For acts of valour, these transport and helicopter crews earned laurels - PL Dhawan, NP Chaudri, MS Khalsa, John Phillipose, K Subramanium, SK badhwar, Kiddo Narayan, LS Grewal, Chandan Singh, BS Jaswal, V Puri, among others of 12,19,43 Sqn and 107 HU kept DBO going (17/24)
April 1964 would see the formation of 114 HU, taking the mantle from 107 HU. 114 HU would make Leh its home forever using the lightweight Chetak,Chetaah & now Cheetal, keeping DBO serviced for the last 50 years! 114 who do the difficult as a routine,is a thread in itself! (18/24)
The Mi-26, heavy-lift ac achieved a first when soon after induction, in Sep 86 it airlifted a truck, Jonga, prefab huts, generators, road-rollers, and supplies to DBO to strengthen the camp. Due to the altitude, Mi-26 was operating at 20%-25% of its max payload. (19/24)
In 2008, Air Mshl PK Barbora took the call to activate DBO for transport ops again. History would be made again when the 2,200 mtr airstrip at DBO would have a much heavier, faster An-32 land on the unpaved 2,200 mtr tinyurl.com/k3wnx6jh (20/24)
In this @blueskiespod1 podcast, AVM Chafekar explains the detailed planning and execution that opened up An-32 ops at DBO - tinyurl.com/yvwsn7mt . On 20 Aug 2013, 77 Sqn, IAF would land the C-130 at DBO, timed with Indo-China Foreign Secretary talks (21/24)
Most critical emergencies of Engine failure, tyre burst, etc catered with out-of-the-box solutions since no switch-off was possible, Lockheed charts ended at 14,500 ft. C-130 would boost the payload capability dramatically at DBO (22/24)
In 2019, BRO completed a 19 year-long project to link DBO with Darbuk via a 255 km road, bringing closure to road connectivity need for the strategic location. @IAF_MCC can look back with pride at how it kept DBO connected in war and peace over the last 58 years. (23/24)
lastly, we must not forget, that such feats have demanded sacrifices. Such as Flt Lt Samir Riaz Kagdi of 114 HU who was awarded Shaurya Chakra for a miraculous force landing of the Cheetah ac, near DBO, on 4 July 2000 but succumbed to his spinal injuries. (24/24)
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When I wrote on the pioneer of Heptr's in @IAF_MCC - SK Majumdar - tinyurl.com/2pxpbkna , it did leave an open question - Why were pilots sent for Heptr trg in a hurry in Nov 53? This thread answers that and the life of the first Heptr in IAF - the Sikorsky S-55 #IAFHistory
As it happens, the S-55's were meant for the @indiannavy. Based on a 1952 Naval HQ SoC by then CNS Adm Mark Pizey, as part of ‘Establishment Garuda’, GoI placed a purchase order end Sep 1953 on Sikorsky for the acquisition of three S-55 helicopters (2/13)
S-55 was the only proven heptr at that time (Korean war) which met Naval HQ’s QRs (carry 6-7 psgrs, carry out SAR on land/ Sea, facilitate winching at sea, folding rotors to go into lifts of aircraft carriers). The contract included trg of two pilots and three engineers (3/13)
16 VrC, 3 VMs,1 VSM & 5 M-in-D. These are the earnings of four ad-hoc Combat sqns 120,121,122 and 123 of @IAF_MCC . This thread traces the history of these snoozing sqns that rise during a war, manned by aircraft & instructors from training establishments. #IAFhistory (1/17)
120 Sqn was activated in 1965 at Jodhpur on Vampire ac from C&R School. The Sqn was awarded a VrC, VM and a VSM. In 1971 war, it was activated with Mystere aircraft from Target Tow Flight (TTF) and pilots from TTF, 3 and 31 Sqn, operating from Nal earning 4 Vrc & 1 VSM. (2/17)
In 1965, they were employed in LL Tactical msns over enemy territory disrupting supplies. They also flew CAPs including at night time and dissuaded enemy bombers. IJS Parmar was awarded VrC, he flew four combat sorties in quick succession & chased the enemy bombers away.. (3/17)
Only FIVE @IAF_MCC officers have received a "Bar to Vir Chakra" (Vir Chakra twice) - military bravery award presented for acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy. This is a brief on Air Cmde AIK Suares, the first IAF officer to achieve this rare feat. (1/13)
Anthony Ignatius Kenneth Suares was born in 1925 in Madras. He graduated from Madras Christian College and was commissioned as a pilot on 20 Dec 1943 with the 20th PC. He was affectionately called "sue" in the IAF. Immediately after his conversion, he was posted to 4 Sqn (2/13)
4 Sqn was in Burma and Japan as part of the British occupational forces during the years of 1944-46 when Suares served with the unit flying Spitfires. (3/13)
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)
Aerobatic flying has enthralled us ever since aviation started. This is an attempt to trace the evolution of aerobatic teams in the @IAF_MCC . Flypasts in Box and Balbo formation on various occasions were frequent, but formation aerobatics, not so. #IAFHistory (1/n)
The first-ever display team was formed in 1945 and was called IAF Display flight (well after a lot of debate). They had 6 Spitfires, 4 Cornells, and 2 Harvards with them - Jumbo Majumdar, Mehar Singh, and Arjan Singh served as COs. (2/n)
W/C Jumbo Majumdar as CO sadly perished in an air accident in Feb 45. The flight was disbanded - Reformed as Demonstration Flight in Sep 45 with W/C Mehar Singh as CO. It would only be operational for another few months before partition took focus away. (3/n)
The royalty did take to serving in the military and @IAF_MCC was no exception. Read on for a glimpse of the royals who served and earned laurels. Many of them were killed in service as regular commission officers. 24 of them, including minor states & Principalities (1/20)
Fg Offr Dhrubendra Chandra Bhanj Deo joined the IAF with the 1st Pilot Course in 1939. He was the successor to the throne of Mayurbhanj state. On 2 Aug 1942, while flying a Hudson ac on reconnaissance duty off Cuttack with 353 Sqn RAF, the aircraft crashed, killing all on board.
Kanwar Jaswant Singh was a scion of the Kapurthala Royal family. Studied at RIMC, Joined the Indian Army, seconded to IAF, Commanded 2 Sqn and numerous other units, died in harness as the AOC-in-C of Eastern Air Command just after the 1962 war. tinyurl.com/yeyknwye (3/20)