Tribune News Service
New Delhi/Ambala, Sept 10
Air Force’s Golden Arrows squadron, a unit that will host Rafale fighter jets, was re-raised during a brief ceremony at the Ambala airbase on Tuesday. The first Rafale jet is likely to be handed over to India at a function in France on October 8.
Incidentally, October 8 is celebrated as the Air Force Day, and the day is coinciding with Dasehra this year. The ceremony was scheduled on September 19, but is learnt to have been postponed.
In Ambala, a ‘resurrection ceremony’ was done for 17 Squadron, with IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa presenting a memento to Group Captain Harkirat Singh to mark the occasion. The ceremony was attended by various dignitaries from Air Force and Army.
The squadron actively participated in Goa Liberation Campaign in December 1961 and in 1965 operations as a reserve force. Under the command of Wing Commander N Chatrath, 17 Squadron participated in the India-Pakistan 1971 war and flew close air support, counter air and fighter recce missions, getting numerous gallantry awards.
On November 1988, the squadron was presented ‘Colours’ by then President R Venkataraman. The now IAF Chief was commanding the Golden Arrows during the Kargil operations in 1999.
In the near future, the squadron will be the first to be equipped with the state-of-the-art Rafale aircraft, which is an extremely capable, fourth generation, multi-role aircraft with advanced weapons.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2Aa6eWt
via Today’s News Headlines
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