| No. 26 Squadron | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 January 1968 – unknown |
| Country |  Republic of India |
| Branch |  Indian Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Garrison/HQ | Pathankot AFS |
| Nickname | "Warriors" |
| Mottos | Yudhyasva Vigatha Jwar Wage war with all efforts |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | MiG-21 bis |
No. 26 Squadron IAF (Warriors) is the Ground Attack andClose Air Support unit of theIndian Air Force, operating fromPathankot Air Force Station under India'sWestern Air Command.[1][2] The squadron was number plated on an unspecified date.[3]
No. 26 Squadron was formed on 1 January 1968 atAdampur, underWing CommanderM.M. Singh. It was the first squadron to operate theSukhoi Su-7 aircraft. Until 1971, the squadron was a type-training squadron, helping other squadrons to convert to the Su-7. It played an active role in theIndo-Pakistani War of 1971. No. 26 Squadron's primary role was to flyClose Air Support (CAS) missions with 8 Tactical Air Command (TAC). It also flew several sorties with 6 TAC. Most operations were in an area known as the Bulge, bounded by Samba in the north,Pathankot in the east, andDera Baba Nanak in the south.[4]
Theaircrew of No. 26 Squadron were briefed for operations at 04:00 hours on the morning of 4 December 1971, as part of India's response toa series of pre-emptive strikes on Indian airfields by thePakistani Air Force (PAF). Among its sorties, No. 26 Squadron sent four aircraft to strikeChandhar Air Force Base early that morning. At dusk, four aircraft were sent to strike a suspected radar site atWalton Airfield.[4]
On 5 December, after a briefing at 04:30 hours, the squadron flew missions for 6 TAC in theLahore sector.Squadron Leader Sahin took damage on one sortie, forcing him to land at Pathankot. During the last strike of the day, Squadron Leader Jaffa was shot down. He ejected from an inverted aircraft, but landed inside Pakistani territory and was captured. On 6 December, the squadron flew several missions against dug-in and well-prepared Pakistani positions in the Bulge. On 7 December, Squadron Leader Jiwa Singh, the squadron's Senior Flight Commander, was shot down overJafarwal at 10:15 hours, and lost contact with ground control. Later that day, it was reported that an Su-7, probably commanded by Singh, had been shot down by anF-104 Starfighter and the pilot killed. On 8 December, after a briefing at 06:30 hours, No. 26 Squadron flew several CAS missions with no losses. But losses over the preceding days had reduced the squadron to 13 pilots and just 11 aircraft.[4]
On 9 December, No. 26 Squadron began flying missions withMiG 21 escorts, in response to increased PAF activity in the Bulge. The squadron flew several missions against Pakistani positions in the Bulge.Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Kadam was reported missing after an attack on Rissalwala Airfield. On 10 December, the squadron flew 10 CAS sorties in the Bulge, and Flt Lt Parulkar went missing after a strike overZafarwal. On 11 December, flying overNurkot, three aircraft of the squadron encountered six PAFSabres. Two aircraft returned undamaged, but Ft Lt K.K.Mohan was reported missing. On 12 December, the squadron flew 12 CAS sorties, without mishap beyond occasional Pakistani jamming of their communications. No. 26 Squadron flew fewer sorties as the war drew to close. Only eight were flown on 13 December.[4]
On 14 December, fighting inShakargarh intensified, and the squadron flew 14 sorties. ItsForward Air Controller, Flt LtLawrence Pereira, was seriously injured bystrafing runs, and died from his injuries. On 15 December, No. 26 Squadron acquiredS-24 rockets, which it used to attack theSulemanki Headworks. On 16 December, after the surrender of the Pakistani forces inDhaka, the squadron flew a mission against the Normal Railway Yard. It flew into heavy anti-aircraft fire. Flt Lt Dandass was shot down, and his aircraft exploded on the ground. That evening, thePrime Minister of India,Indira Gandhi, ordered a unilateral ceasefire on the western front. On 17 December, only 12 sorties were flown. A cessation of all air strikes was ordered at 16:00 hours that evening.[4]
No. 26 Squadron has received several trophies as best squadron in India'sWestern Air Command.[citation needed]
In June 1977, the squadron was re-equipped withMiG 21BIS aircraft. It is the only IAF squadron still flying the legacyMiG-21bis fighters (all other MiG-21bis squadrons upgraded to theMiG-21 Bison).[5]
No. 26 Squadron took part in the 50-squadronflypast in 1982, commemorating the IAF Golden Jubilee.[citation needed]
In November 2014, it was awarded the President's Standard.[4]
The squadron celebrated its golden jubilee in 2019 and remains the only squadron inIndian Air Force fleet to operate non upgraded Mig-21 bis. The squadron was planned to be number-plated in 2020.[5]
The squadron was number plated on an unspecified date. Currently, only 4 MiG-21 Bison squadron remains in service.[3]
On 21 November 2014, the thenPresident of India,Pranab Mukherjee, awarded the President's Standard toNo. 115 Helicopter Unit, IAF and No. 26 Squadron atTezpur,Assam.[6]
Aircraft types operated by the squadron[7]
| Aircraft type | From | To | Air base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sukhoi Su-7 BMK | February 1968 | July 1977 | Adampur AFS[7] |
| MiG-21 bis | July 1977 | N/A | Pathankot AFS[7] |
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