As I book tickets for @TomCruise#TopGun, I’m reminded of the @IAF_MCC own TopGun Academy - Tactics and Air Combat Development Establishment (TACDE). This is an attempt to recall the story of how independent India made its own #Mavericks#IAFHistory (1/22)
The history of Air Combat is as old as aircraft themselves. Given its shared history the IAF of the 1940/50s looked to the RAF for air combat tactics & trg, but only a handful of pilots could be so trained with no institutional transfer & continuity of knowledge being avl. 2/
In the period 1950-52, the IAF sent four pilots to Australia to undergo the Pilot Attack Instructors (PAI) Course with the RAAF. A few were sent to UK till the mid-1950s. The plan was for these pilots to impart their knowledge to sqn pilots of the IAF. 3/
In tandem the IAF began to scout for an A-to-G range. In 1950, Maharajpur, Jamnagar, Bhopal, Amarda Road & Cholavaran were considered. Jamnagar was selected & named Armament Trg Wing (ATW) where an entire sqn would come to receive trg. This pic of 1952 is of 15 Sqn at ATW. 4/
The PAI school was set up in 56. Wg Cdr GD “Nobby” Clarke who had trained with the RAAF in 51 spent a large part of the next decade instructing at the school, including as CO & later as CI of ATW which then comprised the PAI flight, sqn Trg Flt & the target towing flight 5/
The 1st desi Top Guns graduated with the No 1 PAI Course in Apr 58. 24 courses were held between 1958-70, trg nearly 200 pilots (incl 3 future chiefs). While PAI trained with AtoG weapon delivery, AtoA Combat & Tactics were still being learnt overseas. 6/
For Tactics dev, air-air combat, IAF still relied on sending pilots to UK for Day Fighter Leader Course (DFL) on Hunter a/c. Several luminaries such as Johnny Greene, Dilbagh Singh & Rags Raghvendran attended this course & recommended setting up one for the IAF. 7/
With UK’s review of defence policy in 1957, focus on conventional warfare was reduced and the DFL course was stopped. The #GunVsMissile debate would leave a gaping hole in IAF’s ability to train #TopGuns. Sporadic attempts were made through the 60s. 8/
Similar attempts were made by Rags Raghvendran (See his account), but lack of funds & approvals, coupled with the 62 and 65 wars made sure no IAF Fighter Leader was trained for nearly 15 years, till 1972. But 65 war exposed the urgent need for the same. 9/
These efforts received a fillip when ACM PC Lal gave the go-ahead to establish a unit under Dte of Off Ops. G/C Aubrey Michael & S/L Denzil Keelor planned & estd this setup. Aubrey was awarded AVSM for his efforts & Keelor commanded TACDE later, retiring as Air Mshl 10/
This Unit, the Tactics & Combat Development & Training Sqn (TCDTS) was setup with a Flt each of the best combat a/c in IAF then – MiG-21 & Su-7. 211 handpicked officers & men reported to the unit on 1 Feb 71. Started as a 1-yr experiment, the unit would go on to make history 11/
TCDTS moved to Ambala in 71 & was just getting settled when war clouds began to loom. TCDTS was given the task of Low Level (150-200 m) night strikes on PAF bases. The only challenge was – Neither MiG-21/ Su-7 nor the pilots were equipped or trained for it! 12/
To their credit, TCDTS delivered night-time raids at major PAF bases, in all flying 293 sorties through the war. Damage to infra may have been repairable, but the impact on PAF morale and tactics was undeniable. For details, read “Moonlight Marauders” by Air Mshl TJ Master. 13/
Graduates earned a patch with a MiG-21 (Air Defence) & Su-7(Ground attack),separated by a flash for controllers. The bg colours signified day/night. The Motto–“Learn to lead–Lead to fight” was inspired by ETPS, UK. The official crest was designed by then Cmdt MS Bawa in 1976. 14/
In May 72, Wg Cdr A Sridharan took charge. During his 2-yr tenure the Unit was renamed as TACDE (Tactics & Combat Development & Training Establishment), moved to Jamnagar, extensively developed tactics, and conducted the first Fighter Combat Leader (FCL) course. 15/
In the hectic period of 72-74, staff at TACDE laid out flying techniques, tactics, briefing notes & experimented with combinations of 2v2, 2v4, 10 a/c mixed formation flying, strike msns – nearly rewriting a/c and service manuals and testing the limits of a/c. 16/
The 1st FCL course began in May 73. It had three pilots each from MiGs & Sukhois & were all Flt Cdrs of their own sqns & qualified PAIs. The IAF had chosen its best! Sqn Ldr AY Tipnis (later Chief of Air Staff) won the trophy as the best fighter leader of the first course 17/
In Jun82, the MiG-21FL & Su-7 were phased out. The MiG-21bis & MiG-21M/MF were inducted at TACDE leading to further refinements of techniques & syllabi. The MiG-21 would remain the only a/c at TACDE for the next 12 years. 18/
Btwn 1989-97, TACDE evolved rapidly. The Fighter Strike Leader (FSL) & Master Fighter Controller (MFC) courses were added in 89. Missile(SAGW) combat crew were integrated. In 94, the MiG-27 replaced the MiG-21M & in 97 the Helicopter Combat Leader (HCL) course was added. 19/
In 2000, TACDE moved out of Jamnagar after 28 years to Gwalior. Su-30 replaced the MiG-27 in 2010 and earlier this year the MiG-21 was phased out of TACDE after 50 years, almost at the same time as TACDE celebrating its golden jubilee. 20/
500+ pilots & 100+ Controllers had graduated by the turn of the century. A handful of them had been posted back to TACDE as Directing Staff (Maverick’s choice posting in #TopGun). For #Topgun fans, it is easy to visualize the effort & skill to earn the right to these patches. 21/
If I had a choose an #IndianMaverick, it would be S/L Owen D’Sena. Credited with dispelling the notion that the SU-7 could not be maneuvered in the vertical plane, it was said the more nimble MiG-21 could never get behind his Su-7. Sadly, he was lost in a Su-7 accident. 22/
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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.”
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.
🧵👇
#IAFHistory
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).
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. 🧵👇
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.
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.
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)
#IAFHistory
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/
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.🧵
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.
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!
#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
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/
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