No. 44 Squadron IAF
Military unit
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No. 44 Squadron IAF nicknamed as Mighty Jets is a unit of the Indian Air Force assigned to Maintenance Command. The Squadron participates in operations involving air, land and air-drop of troops, equipment, supplies, and support or augment special operations forces, when appropriate.
Republic of India
Indian Armed Forces
Indian Air Force| No. 44 Squadron Mighty Jets | |
|---|---|
Crest of The No. 44 Squadron IAF "Mighty Jets" | |
| Active | April 1961 - Present |
| Country | Republic of India |
| Allegiance | Indian Armed Forces |
| Branch | Indian Air Force |
| Role | Transport |
| Garrison/HQ | AFS Chandigarh[1][2] |
| Nickname | "Mighty Jets" |
| Mottos | Ishtam Yatnen Sadhyetah Achieve Goals with Perseverance |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Transport | IL-76MD |
History
The Squadron undertook extensive air maintenance sorties in the Ladakh and J&K Sectors. This earned the squadron the emblem of "Himalayan Geese" which was formally approved by the then President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on 26 May 1966.
In 1971 Indo-Pak Conflict, the squadron proved its mettle by innovating and effectively employing AN-12s in the bombing role in the Western theatre. Notably, 44 Squadron is the only transport squadron of the Indian Air Force to be conferred the Battle Honours, a feat otherwise reserved for active operational combat units.[3] No. 44 Squadron has flown relief missions to Sri Lanka and Indonesia during the tsunami disaster, rescuing civilians, and to avalanche victims in Kashmir as well SOS missions to quake-affected Iran.[4]
Lineage
- Constituted as No. 44 Squadron (Mighty Jets) on 6 April 1961[5]
- Designated the emblem of "Himalayan geese" on 26 May 1966