No. 44 Squadron IAF

No. 44 Squadron
ActiveApril 1961 - Present
CountryIndia
RoleTransport
Garrison/HQAFS Chandigarh[1][2]
Nickname(s)"Mighty Jets"
Motto(s)Ishtam Yatnen Sadhyetah
Achieve Goals with Perseverance
Aircraft flown
TransportIL-76MD

No. 44 Squadron 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.

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

Assignments

Aircraft

References

  1. ^ "AWACS, aerial refuellers to shift base to city. Indian Air Force to assign all IL-76 airlifters to one squadron".
  2. ^ "Land hitch hits air force base - Plan for IL-76 station at Nagpur dropped after 10-year wait". Archived from the original on 12 March 2018.
  3. ^ "President's standard awarded to IAF's 44 Squadron and 110 Helicopter Unit". Meghalayatimes.info. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  4. ^ "IAF's 'Mighty Jets' carry relief to Pakistan". Rediff.com. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  5. ^ "Squadrons and Helicopter Units". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 23 November 2015.