Do you get confused with the nomenclature of establishments in the @IAF_MCC ? Words like Comd/Wing/Station/ FBSU/ C&MU confuse you? This abridged thread tries to explain the structural philosophy which the IAF has followed, initially borrowed from the RAF. #IAFHistory (1/16)
The IAF HQ in Delhi is essentially divided along the Ops, Maint & Adm verticals. Its 5 geographical & 2 functional command HQs are likewise divided. Each Comd oversees numerous Stations that are largely functional in nature. These stations are named as per their functions. 2/
While Air Forces like the USAF & PAF have named their Stations after luminaries of their service, the IAF has largely stuck to numbering them (with very few recent exceptions) 3/
But it was not always like this. The IAF org has developed gradually over the years to be able to adapt to contemporary times. While some of that org is retained, others have been altered/modified. This thread attempts to clear the air. 4/
As early as the 1920s, the RAF had divided itself into three main functional domains – Operations (Flying and everything associated with flying), Maintenance & Administration. That fundamental structure remains the bedrock of IAF setup even today. 5/
Let’s take AirHQ of 1940s as an example. Its earliest setup had two verticals under- a “Senior Air Staff Officer (SASO)” & an “Air Offr IC Admin (AOA)”. Due to lack of Engrg Offrs in the initial yrs,Maint came under the AOA This structure was replicated in the lower tiers. 6/
In the years following indep, two verticals – those of ‘Maintenance’ & ‘Personnel’ were hived off the AOA’s charter & given an indep hierarchy. As of today, six verticals report directly to the chief. Originally manned by Air Cmde, these verticals are not headed by Air Mshls 7/
The next tier comprised the precursors of present-day Comd HQs. These were the No 1 Op Group & No 2 Trg Group. These Gps had stations/Sqns under their control. In 1947, No.1 Op Group comprised all of India and was the formation that won the Kashmir war under Baba Mehar Singh 8/
No 1 Op Group kept getting revived and disbanded repeatedly and to date has lived four avatars in the IAF. It is the only formation that can claim to be the forefather of no less than three Operational Commands of today! Hopefully, someday it will rise again! 9/
In 1949 both Groups (Op & Trg) were upgraded to Commands, this was to bring parity between Army and IAF. Other than No. 1 Group, this nomenclature did not survive. A “Wing” remains the highest estb within a command. 10/
At the time of independence, IAF had just 2 wings (Stations at Palam & Poona). But by the early 60s, the number was nearly 20. In addition, Transport Trg Wing, Fighter Trg Wing, 10 Adm Wing also came up as extensions of the philosophy. These institutions exist to this date. 11/
IAF has many airstrips, not all of which need to be wings. Thus came about the "Care & Maintenance unit" where an airbase had skeleton staff that kept the base operational for occasional flying. The famous battle of Longewala was fought when W/C MS Bawa activated 14 C&MU . 12/
Another mini-wing concept that emerged was the "Forward Base Supply Unit" (FBSU), which had a full setup of staff to support flying ops, but did not have sqns/units based permanently, but would visit on detachments round the year. FBSUs tended to be closer to the borders. 13/
One lesser-used nomenclature was that of Staging Post (SP). No. 1 SP functioned at Car Nicobar for refuelling of ac flying lgs msns from the mainland across the Bay of Bengal. This remains the only known Staging Post. 14/
An even lesser-known unit was MEMU (Mobile Echelon Maintenance Unit). Amritsar & Sirsa were 4 & 5 MEMU’s respectively in the early 70s. Over time, C&MU grew to FBSU which grew into Wings as the size of IAF increased and the role of each unit expanded. 15/
These Stns-no matter what their name-continue to host various units – some pertaining to flying, others to maint & adm. Units are generally mobile, as this interesting read from the Natl Archives indicates. “Stations” however, are static formations that serve units. 15/
In the operational sense, it is the units that do the war fighting – directly or indirectly. Thus, a Unit is the tip of the IAF’s spear and the wing/command the brains, the hand that indirectly wields it. 16/
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
@IAF_MCC celebrates AVM Harjinder Singh as the pioneer of the Tech branch. Unsung and unknown is the name of Air Cmde Narinjan Parsad Nair. He was the 4th senior-most officer ever in the tech branch when he hung his boots in 1965. This is his journey. #IAFHistory (1/16)
Born on 21 Nov 1915 at Kunjha, Gujrat in West Punjab, to Dewan Durga Prasad Nair who was a criminal lawyer with practice at Ferozepur, Nair would be inclined to the military from early on. His RIMC interview was conducted by the Governor of United Provinces 2/
He was at RIMC Dehradun from 1927 to 1933. A contemporary of Gen. Prem Bhagat, he joined the Indian Military Academy in 1934 but was withdrawn on medical grounds having partially lost hearing in one ear due to an infection caught during participation in a swimming competition 3/
General Manekshaw, but this one was with the @IAF_MCC ! Air Vice-Marshal Jemji Harmusji Framji Manekshaw, was the younger brother of the great Sam Manekshaw. And he too served with distinction, pioneering aviation medicine in India. This is his short story #IAFHistory (1/9)
Born on 28 Oct 1916, Jemi was 2 yrs younger than Sam & as Sam went to Sherwood. He joined the Medical Corps in Feb 1943 & was trf to IAF in July (33rd Med offr to join IAF). Posted to 4 Sqn during WW II, he saw active service in the Arakan offensive against the Japanese. 2/
At the time of independence, as an Sqn Ldr, he commanded the oldest Medical unit in the IAF - The medical trg center then situated at Pune. The centre is now in Bangalore and is the premier trg institute for medical & nursing assistants. Jemi though had to move on soon. 3/
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/
Every @IAF_MCC pilot takes pride in qualifying as a flying Instructor(QFI) or test Pilot (ETP) or graduating from TACDE (Topgun of India). Many qualify for two of these, but all three -> that is rarest of rare. Only five pilots achieved this rare feat (1/7) #IAFHistory
Gp Capt AR Oak was the first officer in IAF to be a TP, QFI & PAI. From the 45th NDA/ 114 PC, commissioned in 1975, commanded 2 Sqn, he was awarded Yudh Seva Medal during Kargil for his role as Air-1, J&K. He retd as Chief TP of HAL Nasik in 2004. 2/
The previous chief, ACM RKS Bhaduaria, 56 NDA was the next one to be a QFI (Cat A2 at that), Test Pilot, and PAI. He commanded the Flt Test Sqn at ASTE, 5 Sqn (Jags), and numerous marquee units/establishments on his way to becoming the Air Chief from 2019 - 2021. 3/
Hakimpet has been the Alma mater for fighter pilots in @IAF_MCC since 1951. The name of the stn/unit kept changing but the role didn't. This patch is the earliest known patch (with the old school feel!) of JTW, as it was known in 1959 & this is the short story of the Patch (1/4)
AVM Agtey designed it when he was the Chief Inst - "Crests are usually a Weapon like a Dagger, a Sword or a Battle Axe, or some Bird or some wild animal. These are things that can be seen - so easy. I wanted to be different. I wanted my crest to depict the role of my Unit." 2/
JTW was training pilots to fly Vampire ac, a subsonic aircraft, which would qualify them to fly the Trans- sonic ac, like Hunters and Mysteres' which could go through the sonic Barrier in a Dive. So I wanted a Sonic Barrier to be my Crest. 3/
The Vayu Sena Medal (VM) was estd on 17 Jun 60 for exceptional acts of courage or devotion to duty-the latter category added in the 90s. 1387 VMs have been awarded till date. 26 pers have been awarded the medal twice, called “Bar to VM”. This thread is on them. #IAFHistory (1/27)
Air Mshl KK “Koko” Sen was the first to get a Bar to VM. First in 1968 was for landing stricken a/c on multiple instances. The 2nd was for a trg sortie in 1970, when the a/c flamed out on finals. He got his pupil to eject & crash landed back at airfield saving civilian lives. 2/
Air Cmde NS Arora was awarded for flying the An-12s with 44 sqn in Ladakh & NEFA. The 1st was for landing back safely after total engine failure. In 1969, at a low height his a/c skidded left & could not recover. By expertly feathering his engines, he was able to recover. 3/