by: Navjeevan Express

Make in India: Air Chief inducts Tejas into Flying Bullets squadron of IAF

NE NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, MAY 28

The Indian Air Force (IAF) operationalised its No.18 Squadron at Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, equipping it with the indigenously made fourth generation LCA Tejas aircraft, a Defence release said.

Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria operationalised the squadron “Flying Bullets” at the Sulur Air Force Station near Coimbatore on Wednesday.

Before the induction ceremony, the Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria flew a solo sortie in the Tejas Mk I fighter with 45 Sqn.

“The Squadron will be equipped with LCA Tejas FOC (final operation clearance) aircraft and will be the second IAF Squadron to fly LCA Tejas,” after the 45 Squadron based at Coimbatore, it said.

Air Officer Commanding in Chief of the Southern Air Command, Air Marshal Amit Tiwari, and the Commodore Commandant of 18 Sqn, Air Marshal TD Joseph, R Madhavan CMD HAL, Dr Girish S Deodhare, PGD (CA) and Director, Aeronautical Development Agency were also present during the ceremony.

While addressing the personnel at AF Station Sulur, the CAS congratulated them and lauded the efforts put in by Southern Air Command and AF Station Sulur towards the induction of the new airborne platform. He complimented the Chairman HAL, ADA, DRDO labs, DPSUs, MSMEs and all agencies involved in the production of LCA under Make in India initiative and for achievement of this historic milestone.

The occasion was marked by the presentation of aircraft documents of the Tejas FOC version by the HAL CMD to the CAS. The CAS further handed these over to the Commanding Officer of 18 Squadron Group Captain Manish Tolani, along with the ceremonial keys to the unit. The event commenced with a flypast comprising a helicopter formation of the Mi 17 V5 and the ALH, An-32 transport aircraft and Tejas Mk-1 fighters.

The No.18 Squadron, formed in 1965 with the motto “Teevra aur Nirbhaya” meaning “Swift and Fearless,” was earlier flying MiG 27 aircraft.

The Squadron “actively participated” in the 1971 war with Pakistan and was decorated with the highest gallantry award Param Vir Chakra awarded to Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon posthumously.

“It earned the sobriquet Defenders of Kashmir Valley by being the first to land and operate from Srinagar,” it said.

“The Squadron was resurrected on April 1 this year at Sulur,” the release added. According to the release, Tejas is an indigenous fourth generation tailless compound delta-wing aircraft.

The aircraft is equipped with a fly-by-wire flight control system, integrated digital avionics, multimode radar and its structure is made of composite material.

“It is the lightest and smallest in its group of fourth-generation supersonic combat aircraft,” the Defence release said.