No. 101 Squadron IAF
| No. 101 Squadron Falcons | |
|---|---|
 Insignia of No. 101 Squadron IAF "Falcons" | |
| Active |
|
| Country |  Republic of India |
| Allegiance |  Indian Armed Forces |
| Branch |  Indian Air Force |
| Role | Fighter |
| Garrison/HQ | Hasimara AFS |
| Nickname | "Falcons" |
| Mottos | Anwishyavedhi Search and Destroy |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Group Captain Abhisek Tripathi [1] |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | Dassault Rafale |
The No. 101 Squadron nicknamed as Falcons is an Indian Air Force fighter aircraft squadron which is equipped with the Dassault Rafale and is based at the Hasimara Air Force Station.[2]
History
[edit]101 Squadron was formed with the specific role of photo reconnaissance. Enjoying the place of pride in the Squadron crest is a trained hunting Falcon, the bird's keen eyesight, quick and sure kill ability symbolises the role for which the Squadron was formed.[3] The unit was equipped with four Harvards, two Spitfires, eight pilots and fifty five airmen. The first commanding officer was Flight Lieutenant John Frederick Shukla.[4][5]
The squadron was reinstated with Dassault Rafale in June 2021 and was inducted into Hasimara, West Bengal on 28 July 2021.[1][6]
Present
[edit]The squadron was reinstated in June 2021 with 5 Dassault Rafale in Ambala. The squadron was commissioned in its designated base in Hasimara from 28 July 2021.[7]
Assignments
[edit]Aircraft
[edit]Aircraft types operated by the squadron[4]
| Aircraft type | From | To | Air base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | June 1949 | February 1957 | Palam AFS[4] |
| Supermarine Spitfire | |||
| de Havilland Vampire | February 1957 | July 1968 | Adampur AFS[4] |
| Sukhoi Su-7 | July 1968 | June 1981 | |
| MiG-21 M | June 1981 | 2002 | Sirsa AFS[4] |
| 2002 | January 2011 | Adampur AFS[4] | |
| Dassault Rafale | 28 July 2021 | Present | Hasimara AFS[1][8] |
Gallery
[edit]
Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria interacting with the Rafale pilots of 101 Sqn.
Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria during induction ceremony of 101 Squadron.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Alex Philip, Snehesh (21 April 2021). "Rafale training of IAF pilots in France comes to an end, eyes on 'Lethal 16' next". The Print.
- ↑ "Squadrons and Helicopter Units". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Pike, John. "Squadron 101". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "No.101 Squadron Falcons - Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force". bharat-rakshak.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ↑ "Flight Lieutenant Pankaj Ahluwalia". Honourpoint. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ↑ "INDUCTION CEREMONY OF RAFALE AIRCRAFT INTO 101 SQN ON28 JUL 21". PIB. 28 July 2021.
- ↑ Sagar, Pradeep R (23 June 2021). "IAF raises Rafale squadron at strategic Hasimara air base". The Week.
- ↑ "IAF's second Rafale squadron to get operational by July 26". ANI. 13 July 2021.
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