squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
Western Air Command
, colors=
, colors_label=
, battles= 1962 Sino-Indian War, 1971 India-Pakistan War, Operation Meghdoot
, anniversaries=
, commander1= Air Marshal Sreekumar Prabhakaran, AVSM, VM
, commander1_label= Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief(AOC-in-C)
, n ...
. The squadron was number-plated in 2016, but was resurrected in Ambala on 11 September 2019 with the
Dassault Rafale
The Dassault Rafale (, literally meaning "gust of wind", and "burst of fire" in a more military sense) is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Equipped with a wide range ...
.
History
No. 17 Squadron was raised in
Ambala
Ambala () is a city and a municipal corporation in Ambala district in the state of Haryana, India, located on the border with the Indian state of Punjab and in proximity to both states capital Chandigarh. Politically, Ambala has two sub-are ...
on 1 October 1951 under the command of Flight Lieutenant D.L. Springett. It initially flew Harvard-II B. It was moved from the East to Delhi during the
1965 Indo-Pakistani War
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was ...
to provide air cover for the capital.
It was awarded its President's Standard on 8 November 1988 at
Palam
Palam (phonetically Pālam) is a major residential colony located in South West Delhi. The Indira Gandhi International Airport, formerly known as '' Palam Airport'', the main airport of National Capital Region is situated here. It is one of 70 Vi ...
.
Affiliation with the Indian Army
On 4th October 2021, the Squadron's affiliation with the
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...
's
Sikh Light Infantry
The Sikh Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army.Ambala Air Force Station.
The Indian Army Chief M. M. Naravane and Air Commodore Tarun Chaudhry of 17 Squadron signed the charter of affiliation.
Feature Film based on the Golden Arrows
A film is being produced on the Golden Arrows squadron based on the 1999 Kargil war, named 'Golden Arrows'. The film is dedicated to Sqn Ldr
Ajay Ahuja
Sqn Ldr Ajay Ahuja ( – ) was a fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force who was killed during the Kargil War between India and Pakistan in 1999. His MiG-21 was hit by a surface-to-air missile fired by the Pakistan Army near the town of Kargil i ...
who was flight commander of 17 Squadron, Golden Arrows. Wing commander
Birender Singh Dhanoa
Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VM, ADC is an Indian air force officer who was the 22nd Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force and served from 31 December 2016 to 30 September 2019. Dhanoa also served as the ...
was the Squadron Commander who later became the Air Chief Marshal of the Indian Air Force. The film is being directed by
Kushal Srivastava
Kushal Srivastava is an Indian film director and producer. He is best known for his films like Vodka Diaries, Speed Dial, and The Job. He is an Ex Air Warrior who served in the Indian Air Force for seven years as Equipment Assistant in Logistics ...