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/

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/

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/

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?

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/

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/

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.

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/

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.

2/

iafhistory.in/2022/04/07/eye…

#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/

1/8: Reflecting on the success of India’s Radar & Communication Indigenisation Project, I had to ask—why did it succeed while other aviation projects, faced significant delays, despite similar govt mechanisms?

Sharing my key takeaways 👇

https://twitter.com/AnchitGupta9/status/1844998959229698094

2/8: Objective clarity was the cornerstone of RCPO. The primary goal? Plugging air defence gaps.This target was broken down into milestones spanning a decade. Indigenisation followed. Of the initial ₹185 Cr budget, ₹105 Cr was for foreign eqpt—a decade later, this had reversed

For a long time, I wondered why the Chief of the @IAF_MCC was called the "Chief of Air Staff" and not the "Air Force Chief" or something similar. Well, at least I am finally enlightened. Sharing this brief of my exploration. (1/7)

#IAFHistory The early 20th century witnessed a significant transformation in military structures, driven by the harsh realities of the Boer Wars (1899-1902). Reflecting on the conflict's challenges, the concept of "Staffs of the Services" emerged. 2/

Jamangar Air Force station is in news these days. Jamnagar holds a very important place in @IAF_MCC. A topic worthy of a longer thread, but a few milestones are mentioned here.

A short thread (1/13) #IAFHistory Jamanagar was not an Air Force Airbase before Independence, though the Jam Saheb was popular in the aviation circles. Post-independence, IAF was searching for a air firing and bombing range. After a search - it settled up Jamnagar and called it Armament Training Wing (ATW). 2/

Air Marshal Ravinder Nath Bharadwaj, PVSM, MVC, VM, affectionately nicknamed "Mummy", passed away at 89 yesterday.

He was awarded MVC during the 1971 War, attacking Pakistan's airfields in the west. He was one of the only two Sqn Ldrs to receive this award(1/9)

#IAFHistory From the 66th Pilot Course, he was commissioned in 1955 & joined the fighter stream. In 1961, he qualified as a Pilot Attack Instructor, the modern-day "Top Gun". The CO of PAI School, Nobby Clarke, gave the nickname "Mummy" for his sweet demeanour. It stuck for life. 2/

While researching the initial lot of Cranwell graduates, I came across a name that caught my eye. This name was that of a certain Mr WHJ Wilkinson CIE ICS, whose name figures in most entry forms of the @IAF_MCC Cadets who went to Cranwell. The name did intrigue me a lot. (1/18) My subsequent research revealed the story of a man who lived a very interesting life in India. It is a story that needs to be told, even if not directly related to #IAFHistory. It also has some gaps (gaps that I hope will be filled by crowdsourcing). 2/

What was it like to be in the @IAF_MCC in 1933?
This narrative captures the essence of that first year, viewed through the eyes of the early aviators. Little did they know their journey would demand courage and sacrifice. (1/20) #IAFHistory The first Indian Air Force officers completed their education at RAF College Cranwell in July 1932. They spent a few months training in England. Subsequently, in April 1933, they returned to India to create the first flight of the No 1 Squadron. 2/

My thread today concerns a community of just 0.06% of India's population. Parsis, Zoroastrians, Bawas, call them what you want - their per capita contribution to India's growth remains outsized & the IAF is no exception. We celebrate their service. #IAFHistory (1/25) It's almost poetic that the Parsi Faravahar symbol bears wings. While it embodies profound spiritual meaning, as an IAF historian, it's hard not to see the striking parallels. If I've erred in my interpretation, I humbly seek forgiveness. 2/

The first flight/landing/ example of a new acquisition is always memorable. Here is a mosaic of a few more pics of @IAF_MCC 's first (or near first) Flight/landings of a new acquisition since independence. #IAFHistory

Pics thanks to Jagan @vayusena

(1/18)

https://twitter.com/IAF_MCC/status/1704481027068940340

The IAF was the first to induct Jet fighters in Asia way back in 1948 - Vampire

The first of the Vampires - HB544 (ex VV209, VT-CXH ). Vampire F.3 HB544 in flight. This was one of the three Vampire F.3s received by the IAF.

2/

Amongst the myriad heroic stories of battles between @IAF_MCC & PAF, the travails & resilience of three scanners at Sakesar, Badin & Amritsar would rate high. This thread revisits the tales of these emitters across the Radcliffe line during the Indo-Pak wars. #IAFHistory (1/26) By ’45, as the war ended, Govt (the British) decided to do away with Radars. Radar was considered too advanced for the IAF & radar cover for India was deemed unnecessary. A partitioned IAF & PAF inherited a total vacuum around “eyes in the sky”, and the race was on! 2/

Air Marshal Dushyant Singh, the man with the highest flying hours on the Canberra ac in @IAF_MCC passed away today, aged 86. He was considered a thorough professional, a tough taskmaster who demanded nothing short of excellence, & yet was revered by all. #IAFHistory (1/10) Dushyant Singh joined the 8 JSW course (now NDA) and was commissioned in the IAF's 67th Pilot Course in 1956 and was posted to the Fighter stream. In his first 3 years of service, he was with No - 3,20,4 and 29 Sqn flying the Toofani and Vampire. His life soon would change. 2/

Mizo Ops 1966 is in the news these days - Summarising the @IAF_MCC role, keeping facts based on the sqn diary records of 29 Sqn, then flying the Toofani's and based at Bagdogra. (1/11) #IAFHistory On 2 March 1966, as MNF overran Aizawl treasure and reached Assam Rifles HQ, it captured Army installations at Launglei and Chanphai. IAF's initial role was to re-supply the army installations and Daks and Caribous were pressed in from Guwahati and Jorhat. 2/