The first Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) squadron of the Indian Air Force No. 45 ‘Flying Daggers’ along with the No. 221 Squadron ‘Valiants’ which flew almost one-third of all offensive missions of the IAF during the 1999 Kargil conflict are set to be awarded the President’s Standard while the 11 Base Repair Depot (BRD) and 509 Signal Unit will be presented President’s Colours by President Droupadi Murmu at Hindon Air Force station on March 8.
Normally, President’s Standards and President’s Colours are presented to squadrons for the past 25 years of service, said Air Marshal P.M. Sinha, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command on Friday in a media interaction.
The No.45 Squadron being currently commanded by Group Captain Surendran was raised in 1959 with Vampire aircraft, and in 1960 took part in “Operation Vijay” in the Liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule. In 1965, as Pakistan launched a massive attack on August 1 in the Chhamb sector, No.45 Squadron was the first IAF unit to launch offensive missions on the first day of the conflict and it destroyed 10 enemy tanks. “Subsequently, ‘Flying Daggers’ flew 178 sorties in support of the Indian Army. After the war, the unit was re-equipped with MiG-21FL fighters,” Gp Capt. Surendran said at the briefing. In 1982, the unit was equipped with MiG-21 Bis aircraft. As part of “Operation Safed Sagar”, the squadron flew 50 operational missions.
