Those Magnificent Flying Machines

Indian Air Force (IAF) is the world’s 4th largest air force with a variety of aircrafts and ordinances in its inventory. To show how some of these magnificent fighting machines can be beautiful, Rahul Devnath take us this month to the north-Eastern part of India, amidst the hills of neighbouring Bhutan.   

 Location

The State of West Bengal is host to some of the most important air bases of Indian Air Force, Hasimara, being one such. Surrounded by Bhutan and China in the north and Bangladesh in south, this base plays a major role in maintaining air superiority in the region.

Situated next to the hills of Bhutan, with a vast area of virgin forest and teeming wildlife, there could not have been a better haven for a Pilot.

Air Force Station Hasimara, 16 Wing comes under Eastern Air Command, and houses two Squadrons of Mig-27ML, Ground AttackFighters, and some Mig- 23UB trainers to compliment them. The two Squadrons, namely the No.22, Swifts and No.222 Tigersharks have a glorious past, and provided major contributions during 1965 and 1971 wars.

With both Squadrons being one the first to convert to current type i.e. Mig-27ML, during 1985-90, this place since then has been groomed to facilitate, best possible training and flying operations, required particularly for the Mig-27s and their pilots, with facilities like a tech-flight and simulator.

The featured aircraft here is the Mig- 27ML, a Soviet built ground attack fighter (NATO Codename Flogger). The particular picture was shot during "Operation Poorvi Abhyas". In a way the picture could be classified as unique as it is one of the few aircrafts, still sporting the "desert camo".