Anchit Gupta Profile picture
Dec 20, 2022 16 tweets 7 min read Read on X
The story of how the first chief of the @IAF_MCC came about to be decided on. A period of 30 days in June/July 1947, hectic negotiations and parleys, and a surprise twist by later to be @IAF_MCC's first Indian Chief Subroto Mukerjee. #IAFHistory (1/16)
Three questions needed answering - Will there be a chief for each service or one commander-in-chief? What rank will the officer tenant? Who will be the officer?

All of these were being deliberated in parallel and Air Mshl Hugh Walmsley, AOC-in-C India set the ball rolling 2/
On 1 July 47, he sent his recommendations to Loud Louis Mountbatten, though the ultimate decision rested with Nehru and Jinnah respectively. Also, a key influencer in the process was Claude Auchinleck, then Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. 3/
The name of Air Mshl Sir Thomas Elmhirst to be the Chief of @DGPR_PAF , seems to have been at the insistence of General Auchinleck who wrote the attached letter directly to Mountbatten on the recommendation. 4/
Lord Mountbatten quickly moved the ball forward but made it clear that if Elhmirst is to be considered, he should be considered for India too. This would turn out to have a major impact eventually. 5/
Air Mshl Walmsley would lead the deliberations. On 10 July 47, Mountbatten informed him that both India and Pakistan had agreed to have an Air Officer Commanding from the RAF, of the rank of Air Vice Marshal. This surprised Walmsley, as Mukerjee would be knocked out. 6/
Not only did Walmsley find this shocking, he thought Mukerjee would be shocked too. This implies that the brass felt that Mukerjee had positioned himself as the defacto choice for the Indian Air Force's top job. 7/
All factors put together, including the fact that not too many RAF officers were keen to volunteer for the job, Walmsley did find the most suitable officer for India (given his boundary conditions) - AVM Perry-Keene. 8/
AVM Perry-Keene was a fine choice because he had spent considerable time in India across roles from 1935 and was reasonably well known amongst officers in India 9/
At Walmsley's insistence on 18 July 47, Mountbatten met with Mukerjee and was surprised at his views - Mukerjee put the needs of the service above his & was supportive of a senior RAF officer. He was concerned about parity with Army and hoped to be Chief in 2-3 years. 10/
Mukerjee was aligned with Mountbatten, Walmsley, and Perry-Keen and it seemed on 22nd July 47, Perry- Keen would make the Chief of the IAF, but a twist was in the offing. 11/
On 21st July, Nehru wrote to Mountbatten encouraging him to consider Air Mshl Elhmirst for IAF. Apart from him and his Defence minister's opinion, it seems Auchinleck would have weighed in as well, being close to Nehru and held in high esteem by him. 12/
On 23 July 47, Mountabetten had arranged for a meeting between Nehru and Elhmirst, so that the latter could be convinced for the job. This though meant that the rank of the chief would no longer be AVM, but Air Marshal, atleast for IAF. 13/
Nehru was able to convince Elhmirst on the 26th of July, and it was decided for him to become chief. While Mukerjee had his wish of having an Air Mshl, at par with the Army, come true, unknown to him then, he would have to wait 7 years to become Chief himself as Air Mshl. 14/
In parallel, Mountbatten aligned Jinnah to have a very capable and willing AVM Perry-Keen be the Chief of PAF. 15/
On 27 July 1947, the announcement was made. IAF was to have Air Marshal Elhmirst as its first Chief and Air Vice Marshal Perry-Keen as the first chief of PAF. 16/16

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More from @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: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
May 17
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.
🧵👇

#IAFHistoryImage
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).

But that was just the beginning… 3/
Read 12 tweets
May 12
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. 🧵👇 Image
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. Image
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.
Read 10 tweets
May 9
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)

#IAFHistoryImage
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/
Read 18 tweets
May 9
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.🧵 Image
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.

2/

iafhistory.in/2022/04/07/eye…
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!

3/

iafhistory.in/2024/10/12/the…
Read 5 tweets

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