No. 23 Squadron IAF
Military unit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No. 23 Squadron (Panthers) was a fighter squadron in the Indian Air Force and it was equipped with MiG-21Bison, based at AFS NAL. The Squadron was number-plated on 26 September 2025, following the decommissioning of MIG-21 Bison from active service.[1][2]
| No. 23 Squadron | |
|---|---|
| |
| Active | 1957 - 2025 |
| Country |  Republic of India |
| Branch |  Indian Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Garrison/HQ | AFS NAL |
| Nickname | "Panthers" |
| Mottos | Amritham Abhayam Immortal and Fearless |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | MiG-21 Bison |
History
The squadron was raised in the year 1956 and it became the first squadron in Indian Air Force to be commissioned with Folland Gnat.[3]
The squadron was relocated to AFS NAL in June 2024 and will be in use with its sister squadron No. 3 Squadron. The move was done to streamline the maintenance and operability of the MiG-21. Both the squadrons will transition to the newly ordered Tejas Mk1A.[2]
The Indian Air Force officially decommissioned the MiG-21 Bison from active service in 2025. An official farewell ceremony was held at Chandigarh Air Force Station on 26 September 2025. The last of the aircraft are from this squadron.[4]
Assignments
Aircraft
| Aircraft | From | To | Air Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| de Havilland Vampire | November 1956 | January 1960 | |
| Folland Gnat | February 1960 | January 1978 | |
| MiG-21 bis | February 1978 | July 2005 | |
| MiG-21 Bison | July 2005 | June 2024 | AFS Suratgarh |
| June 2024 | 26 September 2025 | AFS NAL |