List of active Indian Air Force aircraft squadrons

This is an organized list of all of the active aircraft squadrons that currently exist in the Indian Air Force. Squadrons might have changed names and designations many times over the years, so they are listed by their current designation. Expeditionary and provisional units are not listed.

This article contains dynamic lists that may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Combat

Squadron Name Insignia Nickname Command Date First Activated Base Aircraft Reference
No. 1 Squadron Tigers Central Air Command 1 April 1933 Maharajpur AFS,
Madhya Pradesh 		Mirage 2000 [1]
No. 2 Squadron Winged Arrows Eastern Air Command 1 April 1941 Tezpur AFS,
Assam 		Su-30MKI [2]
No. 3 Squadron Cobras South Western Air Command 1 October 1941 NAL AFS,
Rajasthan 		MiG-21 [3]
No. 4 Squadron Oorials South Western Air Command 1 February 1942 Uttarlai AFS,
Rajasthan 		Su-30MKI [4]
No. 5 Squadron Tuskers Western Air Command 2 November 1948 Ambala AFS,
Punjab 		Jaguar [5]
No. 6 Squadron Dragons South Western Air Command 1 December 1942 Jamnagar AFS,
Gujarat 		Jaguar [6]
No. 7 Squadron Battle Axes Central Air Command 1 December 1942 Maharajpur AFS,
Madhya Pradesh 		Mirage 2000 [7]
No. 8 Squadron Eight Pursoots Central Air Command 1 December 1942 Bareilly AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		Su-30MKI [8]
No. 9 Squadron Wolfpack Central Air Command 4 January 1944 Maharajpur AFS,
Madhya Pradesh 		Mirage 2000 [9]
No. 14 Squadron Bulls Western Air Command 15 August 1951 Ambala AFS,
Punjab 		Jaguar [10]
No. 15 Squadron Flying Lancers Western Air Command 20 August 1951 Sirsa AFS,
Punjab 		Su-30MKI [11]
No. 16 Squadron Black Cobras Central Air Command 1950 Gorakhpur AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		Jaguar [12]
No. 17 Squadron Goldern Arrows Western Air Command 1 October 1951 Ambala AFS,
Punjab 		Rafale [13]
No. 18 Squadron Flying Bullets South Western Air Command 15 April 1965 Naliya AFS,

Gujarat

Tejas [14][15]
No. 20 Squadron Lightnings South Western Air Command 1 June 1956 Lohegaon AFS,
Maharashtra 		Su-30MKI [16]
No. 23 Squadron Panthers South Western Air Command 1 October 1956 NAL AFS,
Rajasthan 		MiG-21 [17][18]
No. 24 Squadron Hawks Central Air Command 19 February 1962 Bareilly AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		Su-30MKI [19]
No. 27 Squadron Flaming Arrows Central Air Command 15 February 1957 Gorakhpur AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		Jaguar [20]
No. 28 Squadron First Supersonics Western Air Command 23 March 1963 Adampur AFS,
Punjab 		MiG-29 [21]
No. 30 Squadron Rhinos South Western Air Command 1 November 1969 Lohegaon AFS,
Maharashtra 		Su-30MKI [22]
No. 31 Squadron Lions South Western Air Command 1 September 1963 Jodhpur AFS,
Rajasthan 		Su-30MKI [23]
No. 45 Squadron Flying Daggers Southern Air Command 20 November 1959 Sulur AFS,
Tamil Nadu 		Tejas [24]
No. 47 Squadron Black Archers Western Air Command 18 December 1959 Adampur AFS,
Punjab 		MiG-29 [25]
No. 101 Squadron Falcons Eastern Air Command 1 May 1949 Hasimara AFS,
West Bengal 		Rafale [26]
No. 102 Squadron Trisonics Eastern Air Command 25 August 1981 Chabua AFS,
Assam 		Su-30MKI [27]
No. 106 Squadron Lynxes Eastern Air Command 11 December 1959 Tezpur AFS,
Assam 		Su-30MKI [28]
No. 220 Squadron Desert Tigers Western Air Command 23 December 1957 Halwara AFS,
Punjab 		Su-30MKI [29]
No. 221 Squadron Valiants Western Air Command 14 February 1963 Halwara AFS,
Punjab 		Su-30MKI [30]
No. 222 Squadron Tigersharks Southern Air Command 15 September 1969 Thanjavur AFS,
Tamil Nadu 		Su-30MKI [31]
No. 223 Squadron Tridents Western Air Command 10 May 1982 Srinagar AFS,
Jammu and Kashmir 		MiG-29 [32]
No. 224 Squadron Warlords South Western Air Command 4 October 1983 Jamnagar AFS,
Gujarat 		Jaguar [33]

Transport

Squadron Name Insignia Nickname Command Date First Activated Base Aircraft Reference
No. 11 Squadron Charging Rhinos South Western Air Command 15 November 1951 Makarpura AFS,
Gujarat 		Airbus C-295 [34]
No. 12 Squadron Yaks Central Air Command 1 December 1945 Agra AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		An-32 [35]
No. 19 Squadron Southern Air Command 24 May 1960 Port Blair AFS,
Andaman and Nicobar 		Do-228 [36]
No. 25 Squadron Himalayan Eagles South Western Air Command 1 March 1963 Makarpura AFS,
Gujarat 		An-32 [37]
No. 33 Squadron Himalayan Geese Southern Air Command 9 January 1963 Sulur AFS,
Tamil Nadu 		An-32 [38]
No. 41 Squadron Otters Western Air Command 1 March 1958 Palam AFS,
Delhi 		HS 748
Do-228 		[39]
No. 43 Squadron Ibex Eastern Air Command 20 January 1958 Jorhat AFS,
Assam 		An-32 [40]
No. 44 Squadron Mighty Jets Western Air Command 31 March 1961 Chandigarh AFS,
Chandigarh 		Il-76 [41]
No. 48 Squadron Camels Western Air Command 15 November 1959 Chandigarh AFS,
Chandigarh 		An-32 [42]
No. 49 Squadron Paraspears Eastern Air Command 2 February 1960 Jorhat AFS,
Assam 		An-32 [43]
No. 59 Squadron Hornbills Eastern Air Command 14 February 1960 Guwahati AFS,
Assam 		Do-228 [44]
No. 77 Squadron Veiled Vipers Western Air Command 5 February 2011 Hindon AFS,
Delhi 		C-130J [45]
No. 81 Squadron Sky Lords Western Air Command 1 September 2013 Hindon AFS,
Delhi 		C-17 [46]
No. 87 Squadron Raiding Raptors Eastern Air Command 6 May 2016 Panagarh AFS,
West Bengal 		C-130J [47]

Helicopter

Squadron Name Insignia Nickname Command Date First Activated Base Aircraft Reference
No. 104 Helicopter Squadron Firebirds South Western Air Command 25 August 1992 Suratgarh AFS,
Rajasthan 		Mi-35 [48]
No. 125 Helicopter Squadron Gladiators Western Air Command 31 December 1983 Pathankot AFS,
Punjab 		AH-64 [49]
No. 105 Helicopter Unit Daring Eagles Central Air Command 23 November 1959 Gorakhpur AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		Mi-17 [50]
No. 107 Helicopter Unit Desert Hawks South Western Air Command 1 January 1960 Jodhpur AFS,
Rajasthan 		Mi-17 [51]
No. 109 Helicopter Unit Knights Southern Air Command 26 August 1961 Sulur AFS,
Tamil Nadu 		Mi-17 [52]
No. 110 Helicopter Unit Vanguards Eastern Air Command 10 August 1963 Kumbhigram AFS,
Assam 		Mi-17 [53]
No. 111 Helicopter Unit Snow Tigers Central Air Command 1 August 1963 Bareilly AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		Dhruv [54]
No. 112 Helicopter Unit Thoroughbreds Training Command 1 August 1963 Yelahanka AFS,
Karnataka 		Mi-17 [55]
No. 114 Helicopter Unit Siachen Pioneers Western Air Command 1 April 1964 Leh AFS,
Ladakh 		Cheetah [56]
No. 115 Helicopter Unit Hovering Angels Eastern Air Command 1 April 1967 Tezpur AFS,
Assam 		Dhruv [57]
No. 116 Helicopter Unit Tankbusters South Western Air Command 1 January 1970 Jodhpur AFS,
Rajasthan 		Chetak [58]
No. 117 Helicopter Unit Himalyan Dragons Central Air Command 1 February 1971 Saraswa AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		Dhruv [59]
No. 118 Helicopter Unit Challengers Eastern Air Command 22 November 1971 Guwahati AFS,
Assam 		Mi-17 [60]
No. 119 Helicopter Unit Stallions South Western Air Command 3 March 1972 Jamnagar AFS,
Gujarat 		Mi-17 [61]
No. 127 Helicopter Unit First Ranas Eastern Air Command 10 January 1985 Mohanbari AFS,
Assam 		Mi-17 [62]
No. 128 Helicopter Unit Siachen Tigers Eastern Air Command 30 December 1985 Mohanbari AFS,
Assam 		Mi-17 [63]
No. 129 Helicopter Unit Nubra Warriors Central Air Command 1 July 1987 Hindon AFS,
Delhi 		Mi-17 [64]
No. 130 Helicopter Unit Condors Western Air Command 15 February 1988 Leh AFS,
Ladakh 		Mi-17 [65]
No. 143 Helicopter Unit Dhanush South Western Air Command 1 June 2022 Jodhpur AFS,
Rajasthan 		Prachand [66]
No. 152 Helicopter Unit Mighty Armours Central Air Command 14 September 1988 Saraswa AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		Mi-17 [67]
No. 153 Helicopter Unit Daring Dragons Western Air Command 1 November 1988 Udhampur AFS,
Jammu and Kashmir 		Mi-17 [68]
No. 154 Helicopter Unit Snow Leopards Western Air Command 8 March 2012 Srinagar AFS,
Jammu and Kashmir 		Mi-17 [69]
No. 155 Helicopter Unit Kirpans South Western Air Command 14 January 2011 Suratgarh AFS,
Rajasthan 		Mi-17 [70]
No. 156 Helicopter Unit Armoured Kestrals Eastern Air Command 23 January 2012 Bagdogra AFS,
West Bengal 		Mi-17 [71]
No. 157 Helicopter Unit Tarkshya Eastern Air Command 9 April 2012 Barrackpore AFS,
West Bengal 		Mi-17 [72]
No. 158 Helicopter Unit Silver Falcions South Western Air Command 10 December 2012 Phalodi AFS,
Rajasthan 		Mi-17 [73]
No. 159 Helicopter Unit Rudraksh South Western Air Command 11 February 2013 Nagpur AFS,
Maharashtra 		Mi-17 [74]
No. 121 Helicopter Flight Sea Eagles South Western Air Command 7 January 1973 Mumbai,
Maharashtra 		Mi-17 [75]
No. 122 Helicopter Flight Flying Dolphins Southern Air Command 26 September 1981 Car Nicobar AFS,
Andaman and Nicobar 		Mi-17 [76]
No. 126 Helicopter Flight Featherweights Western Air Command 15 May 1986 Chandigarh AFS,
Chandigarh 		CH-47 [77]
No. 131 Helicopter Flight Eagle Eyes Southern Air Command 2 August 1974 Thanjavur AFS,
Tamil Nadu 		Cheetah
Chetak 		[78][79]
No. 132 Helicopter Flight Hovering Hawks Western Air Command Udhampur AFS,
Jammu and Kashmir 		Cheetah [79]

Aerial Refueling

Squadron Name Insignia Nickname Command Date First Activated Base Aircraft Reference
No. 78 Squadron Valarous Mars Central Air Command 16 December 2002 Agra AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		Il-78MKI [80]

Electronic warfare/Airborne early warning(AWS)

Squadron Name Insignia Nickname Command Date First Activated Base Aircraft Reference
No. 50 Squadron Adwitiya Central Air Command 1 October 2008 Agra AFS,
Uttar Pradesh 		A-50 [81]
No. 181 Flight Hawks Western Air Command 5 August 1978 Hindon AFS,
Delhi 		737 SIGNIT
748-R 		[82]
No. 200 Squadron Netra Western Air Command 4 December 2014 Bathinda AFS,
Punjab 		ERJ-145SM AEW&C [83]

Aerobatics display

Squadron Name Insignia Nickname Command Date First Activated Base Aircraft Reference
No. 52 Squadron Sharks / Suryakiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT) Training Command 1 January 1986 Bidar AFS,
Karnataka 		Hawk [84]
No. 151 Helicopter Unit Sarangs Southern Air Command 1 June 1989 Sulur AFS,
Tamil Nadu 		Dhruv [85]

Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA)

Squadron Name Insignia Nickname Command Date First Activated Base Aircraft Reference
No. 3001 Squadron Western Air Command 27 November 2000 Bathinda AFS,
Punjab 		[86][79]
No. 3002 Squadron Cats Eyes South Western Air Command 3 December 2003 Jaisalmer AFS,
Rajasthan 		[87][79]
No. 3003 Squadron Trinetra Western Air Command 1 December 2003 Jammu AFS,
Jammu and Kashmir 		[88][79]
No. 3004 Squadron South Western Air Command 4 December 2014 Naliya AFS,
Gujarat 		[89]
No. 3005 Squadron Warden of the North Western Air Command 14 June 2005 Awantipur AFS,
Jammu and Kashmir 		IAI Heron Mk 2 [90][91]

See also

References

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