Corporal Vicky Pahade, who was killed in a terror attack in Poonch region of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, was supposed to return home to celebrate his son’s birthday on Tuesday.

The soldier was from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district and was a resident of Nonia-Karbal village.

Vicky Pahade had visited his family last month to attend his sister’s wedding and had joined the unit on April 18, local residents told IANS.

Corporal Pahde (33) had joined the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2011. He is survived by his five-year-old son, wife, mother and three sisters.

The Indian Air Force’s official X handle stated: “The CAS Air Chief Marshal V. R. Chaudhari and all personnel of the Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in Poonch Sector, in the service of the nation. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in this hour of grief.”

The CAS Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari & all personnel of Indian Air Force salute the braveheart Corporal Vikky Pahade, who made the supreme sacrifice in Poonch Sector, in the service of the nation.
Our deepest condolences to the bereaved family. We stand firmly by your side in… pic.twitter.com/xlFmbqZyix

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) May 5, 2024

Pahade was killed while five other IAF personnel were injured when terrorist attacked a convoy of IAF in Poonch yesterday.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

In a historic first, four units of the Indian Air Force will receive the prestigious ‘President’s Standard and Colours’ from President Droupadi Murmu at the Hindon airbase on March 8.

President Murmu will be awarding the President’s Standard to 45 Squadron and 221 Squadron and the President’s Colours to 11 Base Repair Depot and 509 Signal Unit, the defence ministry said.

This will be the first time in the history of the IAF that four units will be awarded President’s Standard and Colours together, it said.

The award of the President’s Standard and Colours is the highest military honour for any armed forces unit. The four units selected for the coveted awards have made stellar contributions to IAF’s history.

The 221 squadron is known as the ‘Valiants’. The history of the squadron dates back to 14 Feb 1963 when it was raised at Barrackpore, equipped with Vampire aircraft.

Barely two years after its formation, the Squadron was pressed into action in the Eastern theatre during the 1965 Indo-Pak war, where it made commendable contributions to the overall war effort.

In August 1968, the squadron was one of the first to be re-equipped with the Su-7 supersonic attack fighter.

During the 1971 Indo-Pak War, operating in the Eastern theatre, the squadron undertook extensive counter air, close air support and photo reconnaissance missions.

The famed attack over the Kurmitola and Tezgaon airbases resulted in the destruction of several Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Sabres on the ground and proved to be pivotal in rendering the PAF ineffective in the Eastern theatre.

The 45 squadron is also called the ‘Flying Daggers’. Raised in 1959 with Vampire aircraft, the squadron took part in ‘Operation Vijay’ for the liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule in 1960.

On August 1, 1965, Pakistan launched an attack in the Chhamb sector with overwhelming superiority in troops and armour. The 45 squadron was the first IAF unit to launch offensive missions on the first day of the conflict.

Despite flying the vintage Vampires, the raw courage and professionalism of the pilots was enough to stall the enemy armour and the unit destroyed ten enemy tanks.

Subsequently, ‘Flying Daggers’ flew 178 sorties in support of the Indian Army. After the war, the unit was re-equipped with MiG-21 FL fighters.

In the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the unit was responsible for air defence in Punjab and Rajasthan sectors, flying 258 missions, which were instrumental in safeguarding the forward air bases against enemy air attacks.

In 1982, the unit was equipped with the MiG-21 Bis aircraft.

11 Base Repair Depot is a premier and only fighter aircraft base repair depot of the IAF that was established under Maintenance Command in April 1974 at Ojhar, Nashik.

Su-7 was the first aircraft to be overhauled by the Depot and, in the subsequent years, variants of MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-29 aircraft have been overhauled.

The 509 signal unit was established on March 1, 1965, and is presently functioning as an Air Defence Direction Centre in Meghalaya.

The unit has been functioning with the THD 1955 radar since 1995.

The watershed moments in the unit’s history date back to the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, wherein 509 SU emerged as the epicentre of all air defence activities over East Pakistan.

A defining moment came with the precision strike on the Governor’s House in Dhaka, orchestrated from the operations room of the unit.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer Defense & Security and Mahindra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly bid for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Medium Transport (MTA) Aircraft tender. Embraer is pitching its C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft for the deal. The MoU was signed at the Embassy of Brazil in New Delhi on Friday.

“We are honored to announce this MoU with Mahindra. India has a diverse and strong defense and aerospace industry and we have chosen Mahindra as our partner to jointly pursue the MTA program” said Mr Bosco da Costa Junior, President & CEO, Embraer Defense & Security in a statement. “India is a key market for Embraer and we fully support India’s ambitions for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. We see this partnership as a symbol of strengthening relations between Brazil and India and a way to foster Global South cooperation.”

Embraer and Mahindra will engage with the IAF to identify the next steps of the MTA program, as well as contact the local aerospace industry in India to start developing the industrialisation plan for the project, the company said in a statement.

The C-390 Millennium multi-mission tactical transport aircraft offers unmatched mobility, combining high productivity, and operating flexibility with low operating costs, which is an unbeatable combination, the company said. “The current fleet of aircraft in operation has accumulated more than 11,500 flight hours, with operational availability of around 80% and mission completion rates above 99%, demonstrating exceptional productivity in the category.”

The C-390 Millennium attained its Full Operational Capability status with the Brazilian Air Force in 2023 and there is also a configuration with air-to-air refuelling equipment, with the designation KC-390 which functions both as a tanker and as a receiver, the statement added. “Both Embraer and Mahindra will explore the potential to turn India into a future hub of the C-390 aircraft for the region,” the statement read.

The IAF issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a MTA in December 2022 and the deadline to respond expired on March 31, 2023. There are three responses to the RFI which include the Airbus A-400M, the Lockheed Martin C-130, and the Embraer C-390. Among them, the A-400M has a maximum carrying capacity of 37 tonnes, the C-130 close to 20 tonnes and the C-390 can carry up to 26 tonnes.

The RFI states that the MTA should have a load carrying capacity between 18 to 30 tonnes and has carried comprehensive study to identify the current and future payload carrying requirements of the force.

The MTA could become a potential replacement for a part of the much smaller AN-32s in service and could also replace the larger IL-76, which is also being looked into. There is a huge gap in carrying capacities at the moment with the current aircraft which needs to adjusted, as reported earlier.

The transport fleet of the IAF currently consists of over 100 AN-32s, 56 AVROs in the process of being replaced with the Airbus C-295, the IL-76 heavy transports, and the IL-78 mi-air refuelling tankers from Russia, the 12 C-130J Super Hercules and the 11 C-17 Globemaster strategic airlift aircraft from the US. Of these, the IL-76 has a capacity to list 45-50 tonnes and the C-17 up to 70 tonnes.

An earlier project to jointly co-develop and produce a MTA of 20 tonnes with Russia to replace the An-32s was scrapped few years back after initial design discussions, as reported by The Hindu earlier.

To mark its 91st Anniversary, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has planned an aerial display over Bhojtal Lake in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, today. The event will be held at the Boat Club, taking place at the Upper Lake. Residents and visitors in the city will be treated to thrilling aerobatic performances, showcasing the nation’s air prowess. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Central Air Command (CAC) shared a glimpse of SU 30s in a Trishul manoeuvre in an air display practice, and also the Suryakirans over Bhojtal Lake. 

“#91st_Air_Force_Anniversary #Bhopal #Bhojtal_Lake #Air_Display_Practice #SU_30s in a Trishul Manoeuvre. The Majestic #Suryakirans over Bhojtal Lake, Bhopal. Aerial refuelling prowess of #IAF #HarKaamDeshKeNaam,” the CAC wrote on X. 

Take a look below: 

#91st_Air_Force_Anniversary#Bhopal#Bhojtal_Lake#Air_Display_Practice#SU_30s in a Trishul Manoeuvre

The Majestic #Suryakirans over Bhojtal Lake, Bhopal

Aerial refuelling prowess of #IAF#HarKaamDeshKeNaampic.twitter.com/3OMgX5AYXN

— CAC, IAF (@CAC_CPRO) September 28, 2023

Separately, IAF tweeted, “On the occasion of its #91stAnniversary, the Indian Air Force will be carrying out an aerial display at the Bhojtal Lake in Bhopal. Do watch it LIVE on all IAF Social Media Handles.”

#AirPowerBeyondBoundaries

On the occasion of its #91stAnniversary, the Indian Air Force will be carrying out an aerial display at the Bhojtal Lake in Bhopal.

Do watch it LIVE on all IAF Social Media Handles.#AFDP23pic.twitter.com/9PdH0GOhpm

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) September 29, 2023

In view of the event, the traffic police have also released specific traffic and parking guidelines for Saturday. According to a post by Bhopal Traffic Police, arrangements have been put in place along VIP road from Retghat to Khanugaon for the general public to witness the programme. 

दिनांक 30.09.2023 को #बोट_क्लब पर #भारतीय_वायूसेना का वायु प्रदर्शन कार्यक्रम के दौरान-
प्रातः 08 बजे से कार्यक्रम समाप्ति तक पार्किंग एवं यातायात व्यवस्था तथा आवश्यकतानुसार #यातायात_डायवर्सन व्यवस्था जन सुविधा के लिये उपलब्ध है ।@CP_Bhopal@ianuragIPS@MPPoliceDeptt@IAF_MCCpic.twitter.com/2yeK0wzDGG

— DCP Traffic, Bhopal (@dcpbpl_Traffic) September 28, 2023

Access to the event at the Boat Club will be restricted to pass holders. Blue and green pass holders will be directed to the area in front of the Wind and Wave Restaurant of Madhya Pradesh Tourism (MPT). Media members with yellow passes will be allowed to park their vehicles at the Hotel Ranjit Lake View.

The buses carrying the 500 invited students to the Boat Club event will be parked at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya after dropping off the students. Visitors arriving from Smart City Road, Banganga, Machhli Ghar, and Polytechnic will be guided to park their vehicles within the Ravindra Bhawan complex.

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Notably, vehicle entry will be restricted from Polytechnic Square and Kilol Park in the direction of the Boat Club. As per the press note, specific arrangements have been made along VIP Road for the convenience of the general public interested in viewing the show. 

Moreover, during the event, traffic restrictions will be in effect on several routes, including Lalghati to VIP Road, Collectorate Trisection to Koh-e-Fiza, GAD Square to Karbala, and Kilol Park to VIP Road, the Bhopal Traffic Police said.