Open Invitation to all the members of the group..
Its wonderful, intersting and will tingle your military intellect..
It will be a day well spent..
MLF 2023 Brochure
Open Invitation to all the members of the group..
Its wonderful, intersting and will tingle your military intellect..
It will be a day well spent..
Panel discussions will be held on various subjects including China, its modernisation plans, followed by a debate on the brutal methods adopted by its emperor Ying Zheng during his reign from 247 to 221 BC and the blind faith of the present leadership in his methods and the frightening signals it sends to Asia and the world.
The seventh edition of the Military Literature Festival is slated to be held in Chandigarh on December 2-3. This year’s theme is ‘world in turmoil’. Eminent veterans from the military in addition to experts from various fields including politics and military history will attend the event.
The pre-event functions will begin on November 19 with a rally by 1,000 bikers of the Tricity. The rally would be preceded with the wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial at Sector 1, Chandigarh. Both these events would be presided over by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
Panel discussions will be held on various subjects including China, its modernisation plans, followed by a debate on the brutal methods adopted by its emperor Ying Zheng during his reign from 247 to 221 BC and the blind faith of the present leadership in his methods and the frightening signals it sends to Asia and the world. The ongoing
Israel-Hamas conflict will also feature in the festival panel discussions.
Crisis in Ukraine would be the subject for another discussion as would he Pakistan, which continues to be in the news for wrong reasons. A discussion on the legacy and relevance of Alexander the Great and a five decade later Ashoka the Great is also slated along with one on big battalions versus small units.
Lahore Durbar and its geo political fall outs is also on the cards along with a session on martial poetry. Among the guests expected to attend are Lok Sabha Congress MP Manish Tewari, historian Claude Arpi, Professor Indu Banga, senior journalist Praveen Swami, author William Dalrymple, Kesawan Veluthat, RK Kaushik, former diplomat Ajay Bisaria, Manpreet Mehnaaz, Surjit Patar and Sagat Shaunik.
Veteran diplomat and author Mani Shanker Aiyer is expected to join a discussion through Zoom from Saudi Arabia.
Some noted military historians and experts expected to be on stage include retired personnel like Lt Gen Prakash Menon, Lt Gen SL Narasimhan, Lt Gen VG Khandare and Maj Gen Harvijay Singh among others.
The ‘Clarion Call theatre’ will feature curated movies and audio visuals depicting the courage , valor, spirit of sacrifice , adventure and transformation of Indian soldier down the ages. A special movie on National security Guards will be showcased and the mid air rescue of stranded tourists on a cable car at timber trail resort near chandigarh during 1992 will be retold through the horses’ mouth.ADVERTISEMENT
Battle of Dograi forms one of the campaign movies and so does 100 years of Sikh Regimental centre and its contribution to shape a Sikh soldier. Movies made on fallen soldiers, disabled but not disheartened will pay solemn tributes to the Indian Armed forces.
The three living Param Vir Chakras and a number of other gallantary award winners will interact with young minds of the region to motivate them with a spirit of bravery, sacrifice and patriotism.
In addition the festival will have military equipment display, martial dances, photo exhibition and food court. A special attraction would be two stalls for military cuisine by professional chefs with regional Himachali and Kashmiri fare. The MLF is open to all with a free entry.
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 15
Piping its neighbours, Punjab, often referred to as the sword army of the nation, has the second highest number of soldiers, other than officers, serving in the Army amongst all states and union territories in the country.
The strength of army personnel from Punjab is 89,088, according to information placed by the Ministry of Defence in Parliament today. This accounts for 7.7 per cent of the Army’s rank and file, even though its share of the national population is 2.3 per cent.
With 1,67,557 soldiers, Uttar Pradesh tops the list of states contributing manpower to the Army. While Uttar Pradesh, the nation’s most populous state, makes up 16.5 per cent of the country’s population, its share in the rank and file is 14.5 per cent. Maharashtra, with 87,835 soldiers occupies the third slot followed by Rajasthan, with 79,481 soldiers.
Among other states in the region, Haryana is sixth in the national tally while Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh 11th and 12th position, respectively. The contribution of these states to the Army, however, is significantly more than their share of the national population.
The Ministry’s data shows that with 65,987 soldiers, Haryana accounts for 5.7 per cent of the rank and file where as its share of the national population is 2.09 per cent. Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh have 47,457 and 46,960 active duty soldiers, respectively. While they account for 1.01 per cent and 0.57 per cent of the national population, respectively, they make up 4.1 and 4 per cent of the army’s strength, respectively.
The Army currently has 11,51,726 soldiers on its rolls against the authorised strength of 12,29,559, facing a deficiency of 77,833 men in the ranks. As far as officers, other than those in the medical stream, are concerned, the present holding is 42,959 against the authorised 50,806.
Unlike the Air Force and the Navy, the Army does not maintain state-wise details of the number of officers on its strength. As far as the Air Force is concerned, Haryana has the second highest number of officers after Uttar Pradesh and the third highest number of airmen.
Incidentally, the number of doctors presently with the Army Medical Corps and the Army Dental Corps is 6,608, which is higher that the sanctioned strength of 5,736. The posted strength of Military Nursing Officers at present is 3,841 against the authorised number of 4,389.
The region has a strong martial heritage and a rich military history that dates back thousands of years, and is a witness to many wars and battles. Joining the armed forces is a tradition in many families and several generations have donned the uniform.
In the infantry, the largest component of the army, the Punjab Regiment, Dogra Regiment, Sikh Regiment, Sikh Light Infantry, Jammu and Kashmir Regiment, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and Ladakh Scouts draw their manposer from this region. Soldiers from these states also make up a sizable chunk of other arms and services.
Vacancies in the rank and file are allotted to the state on the basis of their respective population. In case a state fails to fill up the allotted vacancies, these can then filled from, other states.
Gaza of the Philistines, had stood as a strong fortress situated on a mound a mile from the sea surrounded by a 60-foot-high wall amidst open desert for centuries. After Tyre, this was last of the Philistine coastal forts of the Eastern Mediterranean that Alexander needed to secure for unimpeded entry into Egypt.
The City of Gaza has been fought for, won and lost many times in the past and on each occasion, the fighting and the aftermath has been remarkably savage. Little has changed over the centuries. Alexander the Great of Macedon, laid siege to the fortress of Gaza in the month of October in 332 BCE. and sensors, Concrete had been laid deep underground to prevent tunnelling out. Israel responded with rockets, air bombardments and finally a ground offensive.
Gaza of the Philistines, had stood as a strong fortress situated on a mound a mile from the sea surrounded by a 60-foot-high wall amidst open desert for centuries. After Tyre, this was last of the Philistine coastal forts of the Eastern Mediterranean that Alexander needed to secure for unimpeded entry into Egypt.
The commander of Gaza fortress was Batis, probably a Persian, who was a strong and accomplished commander. He had prepared carefully for a long siege by hiring Arab mercenaries. The fortress was well stocked with provisions, the walls were sound and the troops well trained and armed.
Israel has confined two to three million Palestinians within the Gaza Strip that is thirty-five miles long and seven to ten miles wide. The Strip is broadly divided into the area North of Wadi Gaza and South of it. In the North there are two refugee camps- Shati and Jabalia; and in the South, six- Nuseirat, Al-Bureij, Al- Maghazi, Dier al-Balah, Khan Younis and the southernmost, Rafah.ADVERTISEMENT
Israel faces physical threats from Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon, Syria and Iran. A host of Arab states support the Palestinian cause, providing military equipment and moral support. Not the least is the well-armed Hamas, who ironically, Israel had been supporting to diminish and divide the PLO.
Who then is the ‘Batis’ of HAMAS?
Is it Mohammed Dief, leader of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of the Hamas movement, a shadowy figure known to Palestinians as The Mastermind, and to Israelis as The Cat with Nine Lives? Or a clutch of six including Dief- Ismail Haniyeh, widely considered the overall leader; Yahya Sinwar of the Majd, the Hamas security service; Marwan Issa, Mohammed Dief’s deputy commander in chief; Khaled Meshal, a founder of Hamas; and Mahmoud Zahar, one of Hamas’ prominent leaders?
HAMAS is well-armed and skilled in fighting in built up areas and has developed a warren of subterranean tunnels. In any asymmetric conflict people tend to go to ground like the Derinkuyu underground city in Cappadocia in Turkey, or the Japanese tunnels at Iwo Jima during WWII and the tunnels of the Viet Cong during the long Vietnam War.
Who is the Alexander of the IDF?ADVERTISEMENT
Is it General Gadi Eisenhot, Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces? He, the originator of the Dahiya Doctrine that endorses the use of “disproportionate force” and destruction of civilian infrastructure in areas where attacks against Israel originate from?
He would surely want a quick victory to answer detractors for the lack of intelligence before the 7th October attack by Hamas across the ‘Iron Wall.” He would recall that after the 1973 Yom Kippur war, Israel’s Agranat Commission recommended for dismissal of the then Chief of General Staff, David Elazar.
Hamas is however, no match for the Israeli Defence Forces with their array of modern weaponry, its control of the electronic spectrum and a willingness of the US and EU to assist it to replace armaments and also attack Syrian and Hezbollah targets if required.
“Bunker Buster” bombs dropped from aircraft can penetrate deep into the earth, explode and crumble the tunnel systems. The Gaza Strip is sealed tight from the ground, air and there is complete naval supremacy. It is unlikely that Israel will agree to a ceasefire till it has reached a position of absolute advantage in the Gaza Strip. During the 1973 Yom Kippur war Israel refused demands for a ceasefire till General Ariel Sharon crossed to the East bank of the Suez Canal thus, trapping Egypt’s 3rd Army on the West bank.
With a muzzled Syria, Hezbollah and complaisant Iran, Israel has no strategic or operational threat; there is however, strategic need is to defeat HAMAS in the least possible time- should Israel not take Gaza quickly, it would diminish its invincibility in the entire region.
Who is the ‘Batis’ of Hamas?ADVERTISEMENT
Is it Mohammed Dief, leader of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of the Hamas movement, a shadowy figure known to Palestinians as The Mastermind, and to Israelis as The Cat with Nine Lives? Or a clutch of six including Dief- Ismail Haniyeh, widely considered the overall leader; Yahya Sinwar of the Majd, the Hamas security service; Marwan Issa, Mohammed Dief’s deputy commander in chief; Khaled Meshal, a founder of Hamas; and Mahmoud Zahar, one of Hamas’ prominent leaders. HAMAS is well-armed and skilled in fighting in built up areas and has developed a warren of subterranean tunnels.
Who is the Alexander of the IDF?
Is it General Gadi Eisenhot, Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defence Forces? He, the originator of the Dahiya Doctrine, endorses the use of “disproportionate force” and destruction of civilian infrastructure in areas where attacks against Israel originate from? He would surely want a quick victory to answer detractors for the lack of intelligence before the 7th October attack by Hamas across the ‘Iron Wall.”ADVERTISEMENT
Alexander had to breach a fortress constructed on a large mound with high walls; today Israel has to fight Hamas on the ground as well in a labyrinth of subterranean tunnels. Israel seems to have formed a strategy of slicing off North from South Gaza Strip to defeat Hamas, which is expected to be operating principally in the North- much like the contravallation of the Gaza fortress by Alexander and command of the sea that, allowed him to cut off any outside intervention and deploy his tall siege towers and siege engines. Israel is following the strategy of flattening of northern Gaza with bombing by its air force and shelling the area with all kinds of weapon systems. This has already led to enormous collateral damage.
For fighting in built-up areas the accepted dictum is to fight from ‘top to bottom,’ in other words, secure the tops of buildings and move steadily down. Mass destruction of buildings creates its own problems of attacking across rubble which gives the defenders ample cover to employ their close quarter weapons. Building a mound around Gaza took Alexander months after which, Alexander’s troops attempted to mount an attack.ADVERTISEMENTALSO READ | ‘Hell on Earth’: What is the humanitarian situation in Gaza?
Later, two successive breaches in the fort wall were attempted but defeated. Eventually after the third attempt, Alexander leading with his phalanx, entered Gaza through a breach in the wall of the fortress; the defending soldiers and the city’s population faced a grim fate.
Many defending soldiers were killed during the siege or in the aftermath of the city’s fall. Those that survived were sold into slavery, and the city itself was largely destroyed. The surviving women and children were also enslaved and the city was repopulated, with settlers from other regions under Alexander’s control.
Finally, it is said that a defiant Batis was captured and killed.
WHAT NEXT?
On October 7, Hamas provided Israel with a casus bello to retaliate; how much punishment of Hamas will be enough to satisfy Israel? An exchange of hostages and prisoners has already taken place and attempts are on to extend the truce. Israel has amended its own deaths down from 1300 to 1200; the Palestinian toll, including men, women and children, has exceeded 14,000 and their homes, markets, hospitals are in ruins. After the expected fall of the Gaza Strip, one wonders whether the area be repopulated? Has the UN and the ICC been able define the line between war crimes, assisting those crimes and genocide? Will such charges be laid at the doors of victors and vanquished?
Even before the end of this asymmetrical conflict, the invincibility of Israel in Palestine, backed by the US and EU has been strikingly demonstrated. Israel will become the hegemon of erstwhile Palestine from the Golan Heights to the West of the Suez Canal; some say it was so prophesised. Perhaps there will be peace in this ancient troubled land for many years to come till like the phoenix, a new generation of Palestinians rises. Meanwhile, Israel will have to wrestle with its own demons- the need to present a softer Israel face to the world and the failure of its “Iron Wall.”
(The writer is a military historian and a former commandant of the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun)© The Indian Express Pvt LtdFirst published on: 01-12-2023 at 10:16 IST
Vijay Mohan
Chandigarh, November 30
Two cadets from Punjab are among those who bagged the top honours in their course that passed out from the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, on Thursday, on completion of three years’ training and graduation.
Battalion Cadet Captain (BCC) Pratham Singh, who hails from Pathankot, was awarded the President’s Gold Medal for standing overall first in the order of merit of the 145th Course.
He is also the recipient of the Chief of Naval Staff’s Trophy and Commandant’s Silver Medal for standing first in order of merit in academics in computer science.
The Chief of Air Staff’s Trophy and Commandant’s Silver Medal for standing first in order of merit in academics in social science was awarded to Division Cadet Captain Vikram Singh, who belongs to Bathinda.https://b6d6f8dfc009788eac5edd8169638344.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
A fourth generation officer in his family, Pratham is an alumnus of the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehrudun. His mother, Col Anuvandana Jaggi is an officer with the Corps of Signals and is at present commanding an operational unit in Rajasthan.
She also had a stint as the leader of the United Nations Military Observer Team in the UN mission in Burundi, where she was awarded the United Nations Force Commander’s Commendation.
His grandfather Col Teerath Singh was decorated with the Vir Chakra for gallantry during the 1971 Indo-Pak War, while his great grandfather, Lt Col Randheer Singh Salaria was the first officer in the family.
Earlier, Pratham topped, both the RIMC batch, where he also excelled in equestrian at the national level and long jump, as well as the UPSC entrance examination for joining the NDA.
The passing out parade was reviewed by the President, Droupadi Murmu, who presented the awards to the outgoing cadets for excellence in various spheres during the three-year training period at tri-service ‘cradle of leadership’.
A total of 348 cadets, including 21 cadets from 10 foreign countries, passed out on Thursday, which included 186 from the Army, 105 from the Air Force and 36 from the Navy. They will proceed to their respective service academies for pre-commission training.
It was also for the first time that a contingent of 15 female cadets, at present in their third term at the NDA, took part in the passing out parade, a fact appreciated by the President during her address.
The first batch of 19 female cadets had joined the NDA last year. Cadets from second and third years take part in the passing out parade along with the outgoing course.
The NDA is completing 75 years of its establishment and all three current service chiefs – Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Admiral Hari Kumar and General Manoj Pande – are from the 61st course of the academy.
Warm regards to this extraordinary man, Jitendra Singh Gurjjar of Bharatpur district, Rajasthan who has kept record of the Martyrs since World War – I to till date. Not only he keeps the records, he even make contact with the Martyr’s family periodically, to know their wellbeing. No government Agency can do such things. Really, so Commendable Job..
It is one thing to operate with impunity against perceived enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan, and quite another to counter inimical elements, even from across the border, in your own land.
THE recent counter-insurgency (CI) operation in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir has again brought into stark relief the heavy price being paid in terms of casualties suffered while neutralising insurgents and Pakistani terrorists being pushed across the border. While insurgency has been waxing and waning in the past few years, the death toll of the security forces, primarily the Army, is a cause for concern. A repetitive pattern of fatal encounters keeps emerging, even as there are many indicators of a return to normalcy in this troubled region.
It is the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Special Forces which have to do most of the heavy lifting in such operations, though the local police have also been active in tracking down militants. The RR, though categorised as a paramilitary force, is officered and populated entirely by Army personnel, with the major composition being from the infantry. Even officers and troops from other arms, seconded to the RR, operate like the infantry, as this is how CI operations are prosecuted. Army personnel who are posted to this force for a two- or three-year tenure are the cream of the organisation, with a stringent set of qualitative requirements laid down for selection to serve in the RR.
The ultimate sacrifice made by any soldier in combat, irrespective of rank, is a high cost to pay, and when the bravehearts who go down fighting are of the officer rank, the price being paid is much steeper. Young officers, arduously selected and trained, are the flower of any uniformed force, be it the regular army or the RR, and they are the ones who provide the leadership at the cutting edge. The Indian Army is an officer-led force and the casualty ratio of officers, whose number is much smaller, is disproportionately high. In fact, it is the highest in comparison to any active army in the world. While the fatalities in the Kalakote encounter included two young Captains, a Commanding Officer of Colonel rank, a Major and a DSP were killed in an encounter at Kokernag in south Kashmir in September.
Recurring casualties among our officers and troops often lead to apprehensions about the modus operandi and training of our forces, even among military veterans who may not be familiar with CI operations.
However, what needs to be understood is the operating environment for our CI forces. Images of US and Israeli forces in action against militants and terrorists may give a flawed perception about the type of combat our forces have to fight. It is one thing to operate with impunity against perceived enemies in Iraq and Afghanistan, or even Gaza, and quite another to counter inimical elements, even from across the border, in your own land. Militants operating in our hinterland can do so due to a well spread-out support base among the local populace. In this disaffected lot, while the active over-ground workers may be identified, a large number of sympathisers for the terrorists’ cause enjoy relative anonymity. The militants merged in the local demography are not easy to identify, while any uniformed individual of the security forces has a distinct and highly visible identity. The locals, willingly or otherwise, become a shield for the militants, who can move about and indulge in their nefarious activities without fear of immediate detection.
The major factor while operating among our own citizens is the binding restriction of preventing any collateral damage, even at the high cost that the security forces may have to pay. Unlike counter-terrorist operations on foreign and distant lands, there cannot be any indiscriminate action against the locals based on mere suspicion and no use of disproportionate force. In such a milieu, the security personnel are akin to a boxer with one hand tied behind his back and his vision partially blurred as the target is well hidden among the local population.
CI operations are generally referred to as low-intensity conflict, primarily due to the use of smaller calibre weapons and localised extent of operations. However, at the point of contact, there is nothing low intensity about it, with the combat troops subjected to pinpoint fire from state-of-the-art weapons, with which our adversary equips these ideologically fanaticised militants, some of whom are well-trained former Pakistani soldiers. They also possess explosive devices that can knock out large-sized vehicles.
Another term apt to be misinterpreted is intelligence that may be available for such operations. The security forces, at best, have to depend upon information of varying credibility for planning. At the tactical level, time is at a premium as there is no entrenched enemy but a highly mobile foe who has a good feel of the area and inputs about the likely movement of troops in its pursuit.
There is often a mention of avoidable risks, an unholy hurry and a hint of brashness among our young officers involved in an encounter. In such actions, based many times on scanty inputs, speed is of the essence. Any soldier worth his salt does not have the time to reflect on brashness versus bravado. With the rush of adrenaline, he just wants to close in on the enemy or terrorist and eliminate this threat to his motherland — it’s as simple as that.
There are people who feel that if terrorism is kept below a threshold long enough, it will die its own death. It has taken over three decades and unrelenting efforts by the Army, paramilitary and police to curb this scourge. It is a cancer which will again spread like a multi-headed hydra if not checked constantly by active measures. The cost we pay for this as a nation is indeed heart-wrenching — the loss of our bravest soldiers. Ultimately, the solution lies in the domain of the political executive.
Bhartesh Singh Thakur
At dusk on December 3, 1971, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) carried out pre-emptive airstrikes, and squadrons under the Central Air Command received instructions to retaliate. The war had started. At 2150 hours, the Canberra bombers of 5 Squadron went straight into the enemy skies for the retaliatory airstrike and struck Shorkot airfield.
The squadron left its mark in Congo, then in 1965 and 1971. During the Kargil war, we were in a deep strike role. We were the first to start GPS-based level bombing and then other units followed. We have a good legacy.
Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria (Retd). He commanded the Tuskers during the Kargil war
I am as old as the Air Force as I was also born in 1932. No. 5 Squadron is touching the sky with glory and respecting the sacrifice made by its officers.
Air Commodore KK Badhwar (Retd). He served 5 Squadron from 1965 to 1968 and carried out six missions in the 1965 war
It is a great squadron. I had a wonderful tenure. The squadron completed 10,000 hours of accident-free flying during those four years.
Air Vice Marshal Anil Golani (Retd). He served as Flight Commander from 1995 to 1999
5 Squadron is the best in the Air Force. I have told my boys that you are the best and they are yet to prove me wrong. Jaguars are ideal for low flying and weapon delivery is accurate. With upgradation, I would say it is kissing fourth-generation. We shouldn’t replace them in a hurry.
Air Marshal LK Malhotra (Retd). He had three tenures at 5 Squadron, including as CO
It was from Shorkot that the PAF aircraft had bombed Agra. “The enemy was caught unawares … the crew were delighted to find the runway lights on. The Tuskers wreaked havoc on this airfield,” says the official account of the squadron.
5 Squadron remained busy in the west, striking the enemy airfields and lines of communication in Chhamb, Shakargarh, Zafarwal, Chander and Risalewala, and other concentrations towards the south too. In one of its night-bombing missions, fuel and ammo dumps well inside the Chhamb sector were hit. As a result, the pressure on Indian troops was reduced drastically.
The squadron dropped about 36,000 LBS (Pound) bomb load on December 11 on enemy artillery and armour near Burejal and also struck the Mianwali runway. Sadly, it lost two aircraft and five Flight Lieutenants.
The Tuskers also took part in the air battles in the eastern sector and were among the few units with battle honours on both fronts in the 1971 war.
Wing Commander (later Group Captain) Man Mohan Bir Singh Talwar, who was commanding the squadron, was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC). He led five day-and-night bombing missions against heavily-defended enemy targets within the first 10 days of operations. “The bold leadership, tenacity of purpose, flying skill, and conspicuous gallantry displayed by Wing Commander Talwar were largely responsible for many a success of his squadron,” reads his MVC citation. Squadron Leaders RC Kohli and DC Bhandari, and Flight Lieutenant HP Singh were awarded the Vir Chakra (VrC).
Treasured legacy
5 Squadron was born from the remains of World War II aircraft. It was then the Royal Indian Air Force. To establish a heavy bombing feature, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited was asked to re-construct B-24 Liberators from the decaying remains of nearly 100 US Air Force bombers at Kanpur.
These aircraft, American-owned but British-operated, were wrecked and abandoned in India at the end of World War II. Despite the scepticism of the US and British advisers, the first six refurbished B-24s were ready by November 1948, and 5 Squadron was formed under Wing Commander JRS Dantra. It was the only four-engined aircraft being operated at the time.
Within months, the squadron was moved to Pune, which was to remain its base for the next eight years.
In 1957, the Tuskers, under Wing Commander (later Air Commodore) WR Dani, became the first to be re-equipped with the English Electric Canberra. It moved to Agra the same year.
The United Nations mission in Congo was the first for an IAF bomber squadron in UN operations. On October 5, 1961, the Tuskers carried out a long-range counter-air operation at a 1,300-km range at Katangan rebel airbase in Kolwezi. A Fouga Magister, two Dornier-28s, a Dakota, DC-4, and Dove got destroyed in the attack. Supported by European mercenary pilots, the attack had a demoralising effect on the rebels. Wing Commander (later Air Commodore) AIK Suares, VrC, led the operations under heavy firing, resulting in injuries to his navigator, Flight Lieutenant (later Air Vice Marshal) MM Takle.
For remarkable service in Congo, Wing Commander Suares was awarded a Bar to VrC. Flight Lieutenant Takle received the VrC, and Flight Lieutenant P Gautam the Vayu Sena Medal.
More glory was waiting for the squadron in the 1965 war. On the night of September 6 and 7, the Tuskers, commanded by Wing Commander (later Air Marshal) Prem Pal Singh, led the battle straight into the enemy’s heart and raided Sargodha. Wing Commander Prem Pal Singh personally flew six missions. A few days later, on the night of September 13 and 14, the squadron led by Senior Flight Commander Squadron Leader JC Verma surprised Pakistan as Peshawar air base, having B-57s and F-104s, was attacked. It was located close to the Afghan border and the enemy didn’t realise that the Indians would come that far. The Tuskers flew about 300 sorties during the war, mostly at night. Wing Commander Prem Pal Singh was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.
The squadron lost an aircraft. Flight Lieutenant KK Kapur lost his life while Flight Lieutenant MM Lowe was taken as prisoner of war. He was repatriated in early 1966. Squadron Leaders SN Bansal and C Mehta, and Flight Lieutenants HS Mangat and PR Dastidar were awarded the Vir Chakra. Three Vishisht Seva Medals and 14 Mention-in-Dispatches were also awarded.
THE SWITCH
After operating Canberra for close to 25 years, the Tuskers were re-equipped with Jaguars in 1981. It shifted to Ambala under Wing Commander JS Sisodia, who rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshal.
It participated in Operation Pawan, the Indian Peace Keeping Force operation in Sri Lanka, in October 1987 and carried out reconnaissance missions. Wing Commander AK Singh, who later rose to the rank of Air Vice Marshal, led the squadron and received a Vayu Sena Medal in 1989.
Squadron No. 1 to 4 and 6 to 10 were raised before 1947, mostly during World War II, but not Squadron No. 5. That’s because Royal Air Force’s Squadron 5 was operating in India from 1920 until 1947 and a new squadron with the same number would have created confusion. Finally, when it was disbanded, Tuskers was raised in 1948.
“It has established an identity and track record that is in no danger of being confused with anyone else’s. They remain the only IAF combat unit to have served on another continent, after Independence,” says the official account of the squadron.
Tuskers became the first bomber squadron to receive the President’s Colours on April 9, 1975. Recently, 5 Squadron celebrated its platinum jubilee at Ambala.
Srinagar, December 1
A Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Friday.
Acting on specific intel regarding the presence of a terrorist in Arihal village of the south Kashmir district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area on Thursday, a police spokesman said.
During the search operation, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately at the security forces, which retaliated, triggering an encounter, he said.
The terrorist, identified as Kifayat Ayoub Alie, a resident of Pinjoora Shopian and associated with the proscribed terror outfit LeT, was neutralised. His body was retrieved from the encounter site, the spokesman said.
Police records indicate his involvement in several terror-related crimes, the spokesman added.
Incriminating material and arms and ammunition, including a pistol, two magazines, five rounds, and two grenades, were seized from the encounter site, police said.
