The IAF History Thread

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Rahul M
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rahul M »

https://bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/history/ ... -1962.html

Burn the Toofanis! - a story from 1962
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by ramana »

Mig-21 in IAF history.

By Rohit Vats


https://www.opindia.com/2019/03/compreh ... ssion=true
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by nachiket »

From Livefist:

Picture of IAF's "mammoth formation"

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Different angle

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Aditya_V »

Hmmm, only 1 variant of Mig 21 in that formation? IAF was a virtual Zoo with 4-5 types of Mig 21's, Mig 23 BN and Mig 23 MF, Mig 27, Jaguar Is/ Jaguar IM, Gnat Ajeet, Canberra, Mig 25, Mig 29 and Mirage 2000.

Atleast with SU-30 we have a decent fleet, hope Tejas also IAF orders in Numbers
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by jaysimha »

http://pibarchive.nic.in/newsite/photor ... hid=140243

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa unveiling the bust of legend Late Marshal of the Indian Air Force (MIAF) Arjan Singh, at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhawan), in New Delhi on April 15, 2019.

CNR :126667 Photo ID :140243

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/TheBrownBeagle/stat ... 2180945920 ---> Here's the article on the Red Scorchers, with that same photo at its head. I was a kid at Tilpath, the day they displayed (mid-1971), and remember both the 4-aircraft formation display as well as Wg Cdr HS Gill's solo. Loved 'em both!!

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by ramana »

Looks like 4th Para Page one has Shiv's Cousin Flt Lt. K. Suresh, later on (Dec 1971) to fight in Longewala.
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by vsunder »

Air Vice Marshal Chandan Singh Rathore(retd) MVC is no more. Then Gp. Capt. Chandan Singh along with Lt. Gen. Sagat Singh organized and executed the famous Meghna heli-lift in 1971.

Using Mi-4 helicopters beginning 9th Dec in an operation involving flying 110 sorties over 36 hours 311 brigade was airlifted across the Meghna. This was preceeded by the Sylhet airlift on Dec 7th. Mi-4 helicopters could carry 15 personnel. But 23 were carried.
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/AnchitGupta9/status ... 49024?s=20 ---> No 9 Sqn During Op Brasstacks (1987) at an operation location on Ajeets. This camo for Ajeets is rare!

Source: Air Cmde JS Dhillon (Retd)

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Hiten »

Watching These IAF HF-24 Marut Fighters Taxiing & Taking To The Air Is A Sight Just As Contemporary
The sleek, pencil-slim contours of the HF-24 Marut, developed in the 50s India, with it's elegant, swept-wing & tail configuration, attached to a perfect Area-ruled fuselage, would have been totally at home in a line-up of current, operational aircraft - the JAS 39 Gripen, MiG-29, J-10, F/A-18. In fact, at the risk of losing sight of objectivity, it could be argued that the Marut's appearance exuded certain futuristic vibe, amplified by the gleam off it's naked, unpainted airframe. This rare video footage, shot on May 10, 1964, when the Indian Air Force [IAF] received it's first 4 Marut, showcases the HF-24 in it's pristine glory.
https://www.spansen.com/2020/06/iaf-hf- ... force.html

can anyone ID the highlighted Ordnance?
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by narmad »

I am not sure if this has been posted

The enemy started firing at us

This is the first of the series By Air Commodore NITIN SATHE (Retd)


Good one on Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar
Remembering Kargil: The IAF Attack on Tiger Hill
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

The Storied Career Of India's Oldest Fighter Pilot, Who Turns 100 Tomorrow
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/the-sto ... ow-2268918
26 July 2020
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

He has truly touched the sky with Glory! Jai Hind Sir!

https://twitter.com/ShivAroor/status/12 ... 64865?s=20 ---> India’s oldest fighter pilot Squadron Leader Dalip Singh Majithia, turns 100 today! He retired from the Indian Air Force in August 1947, just as India was gaining independence. The things he must have seen. Power to you always, Sir!

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/TheBrownBeagle/stat ... 76896?s=20 ---> Today, Squadron Leader Dalip Singh Majithia, RIAF (retd) turns 100 years old. One of just a handful of IAF WW2 veterans still with us. I had the privilege of helping his family compile a video telling his story; hope it is made public.

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

You can drag & drop all these images into a new window for actual size. Easier to read...

https://twitter.com/joe_sameer/status/1 ... 03232?s=20 ----> Wing Commander Jagmohan Nath MVC & Bar of Indian Air Force was pioneer of Canberra ISR missions, with operations over Tibet (1962) & Pakistan (1965). The living legend is near 90 years now. Here's a reminisce of a sortie over Lahore sector from an upcoming book. Godspeed & Long Life to the Air Warrior!

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

MiG-21 and the Indian Air Force
https://medium.com/indra-networks/mig-2 ... 65834443e3
15 August 2020

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

Bird Strike - Indian Air Force Documentary | Hindi documentary 1982

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/joe_sameer/status/1 ... 03136?s=20 ---> Some gems from the IAF's No 7 Battleaxes Squadron's 75 year celebrations back in 2017. No 7 is probably the sole IAF Squadron to be involved in every single conflict/flashpoint faced by the Indian Armed Forces since time immemorial.

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/singhshwetabh71/sta ... 83778?s=20 ---> A brief profile.

* IAF in total got 10 MiG-25s ever, 8 single seaters (RBK) and 2 trainers (RU).
* 1981-2003 they were under No 102 Trisonics and later under No 35 Raipers.
* Even though there were 8 RBKs, IAF never had more than 6 at a time.

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https://twitter.com/singhshwetabh71/sta ... 60448?s=20 ---> IAF got tail numbers KP351-356 (Single Seaters) and DS316/2 (Dual Seaters). In the early days, one of them crashed (due to a Russian Test Pilot) and was replaced for free. Then KP356 was also lost later and one more whose tail number I do not know. There was a KP3106 also, probably a replacement for KP356. By the end, IAF only had 3 single seaters left and one twin seaters left. By the way, only 42 IAF pilots were ever qualified to fly the type solo. Pictures below are of KP354 which did end up surviving and DS362.

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/rv_srivatsa/status/ ... 47712?s=20 ---> The legendary No.102 Trisonics Squadron, the plane that Pakistan could not see nor touch, got us intel by flying right over enemy territory! And one of India's best kept secrets from the IAF Diaries!

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/I30mki/status/13288 ... 18786?s=20 ---> Air Commodore Surendra Singh Tyagi. Veteran of the Indo-Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971. He flew 6,315 flights on the MiG-21, mastered the MiG-23, MiG-27, MiG-29, Jaguar and Canberra aircraft.

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https://twitter.com/Roy_Journo/status/9 ... 08288?s=20 ---> Air Commodore SS Tyagi who is said to be the only human in world with 6,000+ sorties in MiG-21. Check out his patch!

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/Austin_Joseph/statu ... 84800?s=20 --->
IAF MiG-21 Type 77 versus two Mirage 2000 by Air Commodore SS Tyagi.

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

He passed away due to COVID-19....

https://twitter.com/LestWeForgetIN/stat ... 72962?s=20 ---> Air Marshal GS Choudhary, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), Former AOC-in-C Training Command, passed away on 22 November 2020. Commissioned into the IAF in December 1968, the brave Air Warrior superannuated in 2008. Remember his service to the Nation.

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/singhshwetabh71/sta ... 26528?s=20 ---> You wanna know which aircraft had the fastest induction rate in the IAF. It was the Su-7BMK. IAF inducted 6 squadrons (~140 frames) within a span of 18 months, from 1968-1969. Just in time for 1971.

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

Just when I thought I saw everything, I see this...click on link below for video.

https://twitter.com/KUNALBI25146617/sta ... 66978?s=20 ---> About IAF fighter jet camos, SKY BLUE & LIGHT GRAY, not only limited to IAF Mirage 2000s...but also on IAF MiG-21bis Some where back in mid-90s.
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

Air Vice Marshal Ajit Lamba (retd) passed away from leukemia. A legend of the Indian Air Force and 65 veteran.

Will be posting more on him soon.

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by venkat_kv »

Rakesh Saar,
can we have a dedicated thread for all the veterans that attain moksha. I do think that Ajit Lamba does have history with IAF, but great illustrious careers from all the services probably can be collated in one thread for greater ease. (even Col. "Bull" kumar passed away).
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

venkat_kv wrote:Rakesh Saar,
can we have a dedicated thread for all the veterans that attain moksha. I do think that Ajit Lamba does have history with IAF, but great illustrious careers from all the services probably can be collated in one thread for greater ease. (even Col. "Bull" kumar passed away).
Great Idea! I have started it --> viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7834
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

Click on twitter thread link below ....

https://twitter.com/singhshwetabh71/sta ... 70759?s=20 ---> Have you seen this amazing pic of D1262 HF24 Marut? Wg Cdr Jimmy Bhatia, CO No.220 Squadron, taxing in D-1262 at Jaisalmer during Exercise ‘Hifazat II’ in the summer of 1981.
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Manish_P »

Not sure if this is the correct thread, request Mods to please move appropriately (also if it has been posted earlier)

I was the first foreign pilot to fly the Mach 2.8 MiG-31 interceptor, here’s my story: By Air Marshal Anil Chopra (Retd)
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Weighing the same as a M60 main battle tank and capable of flying 600mph faster than an F-16, the Russian MiG-31 is an absolute beast of an interceptor. Cloaked in secrecy, few outsiders have flown in the cockpit of this monstrous defender. Air Marshal Anil Chopra PVSM AVSM VM VSM (Retd) was given privileged access to the world’s fastest armed aircraft, here he describes this incredible experience to Hush-Kit.

“I felt I was sitting atop a missile-head in a high-speed interception.”

“Comparing the MiG-31 with Rafale is like comparing Bruce Lee with a Para Special Forces Commando.” Sure Bruce Lee was much faster with his arms & legs but he couldn’t operate 14 different kinds of guns, run 40 km with a 25 kg backpack, navigate through jungles, perform special recon behind enemy lines, kill anyone just with a kitchen knife & rescue hostages. :lol:

Why the IAF did not buy the MiG 31?
The IAF well understood the complexities of maintaining an aircraft of this type. The MiG-25 had been bought for high altitude reconnaissance. By now, India had its own satellite based reconnaissance capability. Also more and more UAVs were being used for ISR work. Notwithstanding the upgrade, the MiG-31 remained an old platform inherently designed for high-altitude, high-speed interception. It could not be compared to a modern multi-role aircraft. The IAF had already made up its mind with the Su-30MKI for which the contract was actually signed while we were in Russia. We were also interacting closely with the Indian Su-30MKI upgrade team in Moscow. India was also not keen to put the IAF more into the Russian basket. India had had a great experience with Mirage 2000, and was also looking at adding more upgraded variants of the Mirage 2000. Also India had done its threat perception study. It had seen how its own neighbourhood was evolving. India had no such threat from Pakistan. Yes, India needed long-range missile and interceptors for China. But the same could be achieved by putting a long-range missile on any other aircraft.
and this interesting tidbit
What are your feelings on Western versus Russian aircraft – do you have a personal preference and if so, why?

Both, the Russian and Western aircraft had their own strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. Russian aircraft were simpler in design, the cockpits were big, more mechanical than complex electronics, and had high standardisation and commonalty. Switching from one Russian aircraft to other was so much easier. I like the levelling mode of Russian autopilot that brought you to level flight by pressing this button on the control column. This was handy if one got disoriented. I know of someone owes his life to this device. I also liked the simplicity of Russian ejection seats. And they were as foolproof as any Western ones. Russian aircraft mostly had brute power, they were fuel-guzzlers, and some had high specific fuel consumption (SFC), and many passed out smoke through their exhaust. Russian aircraft were cheaper in their base price, but in the long run, their life cycle costs were higher. For example a MiG-29 would overtake a Mirage 2000 in around five years in life cycle costs.
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

The MiG 29 ‘Baaz’ Story By A Young Defence Enthusiast
https://airpowerasia.com/2021/02/19/the ... nthusiast/
By Shwetabh Singh Rajput
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by wig »

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/featu ... hon-215546
Courage over Srinagar: Flying Officer Nirmaljit Sekhon, PVC
Recalling the ‘sublime heroism, supreme gallantry’ of Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, IAF’s only Param Vir Chakra recipient till date

extracts
Srinagar during those days was not a base that had a fighter squadron permanently located due to the restrictions imposed on India not to base fighter aircraft at air bases in J&K following the UN-sponsored ceasefire in 1947-48. Strangely, this was not revised even after the 1965 India-Pakistan war. Air Marshal Manjit Singh Sekhon, himself a Vir Chakra awardee from the 1971 war for his exploits while flying Vampires from 121 Squadron out of Srinagar and who was closely related to Nirmaljit Sekhon, recalls that the latter was full of ‘josh’. Much older and hailing from the same village Issewal in Ludhiana, he recalls having advised Nirmaljit to focus on becoming an officer in the IAF. He also remembers that both squadrons were put up in the same officer’s mess at Badami Bagh and that during the conflict, Nirmaljit would often walk up to his room and say in Punjabi, ‘Dhuan udani hai’ — meaning that he wanted to ‘smoke out the Pakistanis in battle’.

Battle-inoculated well before his epic dogfight over Srinagar airfield, Nirmaljit Sekhon had escorted Manjit Sekhon’s formation of Vampires a few days earlier as the latter attacked the Hajira Brigade of the Pakistan army and enemy artillery guns at Dwarandi, both in the Poonch sector. Unable to resist the temptation of joining the party, the Gnats emptied their guns on the targets after the Vampires completed their attack before returning to Srinagar.


Though Air Chief Marshal Lal had instituted several measures to improve early warning of incoming strike aircraft through a layered network of radars and Mobile Observation Posts (MOPs), the mountainous terrain and valleys offered excellent cover for enemy aircraft to conceal their approach while attacking airfields such as Srinagar. Therefore, the only way for air defence aircraft like the Gnats to intercept incoming strike aircraft was if they had at least five-six minutes of warning that would allow them to scramble in two-three minutes, and then allow the air defence radar to carry out an intercept before the strike hits the target. No such window was available on December 14, the day that Sekhon was part of a two-aircraft air defence mission that was on readiness at Srinagar.

Masking themselves with tactical finesse and penetrating the Srinagar valley with ease, a six-aircraft Sabre formation from the PAF’s 26 Squadron led by their squadron commander, Wing Commander Changezi, swooped down on Srinagar airfield at 7.30 am. Comprising four aircraft for airfield attack and two staying high to provide air defence cover, the Sabres thought it would be a cakewalk for them and like a few times earlier, they would exit the Valley before the Gnats were scrambled. This time, however, they did not expect the speed with which Flight Lieutenant BS Ghuman and Flying Officer Sekhon would scramble into the air. Having got airborne before Sekhon as the Number One, Ghuman gained height and turned around to pick up his Number Two, but lost sight of everything below as there was a thick layer of haze between 1,000 and 3,000 feet.


Sekhon, meanwhile, miraculously got airborne even as the first Sabre pair had dropped its bombs on the runway while the second pair was diving for the attack. So, you had two Sabres at over 750 km/hr with Sekhon’s Gnat behind one of them as he built up his speed quickly and commenced manoeuvring to get a shot on the Sabre leader, while the other Sabre attempted to get behind him. Two Sabres dropped their load and headed home while Changezi called on the two loitering Sabres to come into the fight from above. Despite being outnumbered 4:1, Sekhon fought on, calling for Ghuman to support him and forcing the Sabre behind him to exhaust the ammo. Unfortunately, Ghuman had lost contact in the haze and could not join the fray. Out of ammunition and vulnerable to the second pair of Sabres which had its ammo intact, Sekhon’s aircraft was hit by several bursts of concentrated fire and went down close to Badgam, the site of another epic battle in November 1947 where Major Somnath Sharma was awarded a Param Vir Chakra as his company of 4 Kumaon stalled the enemy’s advance towards Srinagar airfield. Sekhon attempted an ejection, but was too close to the ground and perished in action. Among the Indian accounts of that battle, a 2017 piece by KS Nair in Indian Defence Review and a terrific YouTube animation by Anurag Rana offer the finest accounts. Kaiser Tufail provides the best PAF perspective in his blog ‘Aeronaut’, where he calls Sekhon a ‘hard nut to crack’, and describes the combat with flair as Sekhon ‘snatched degrees at a dizzying rate’.
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

Drag & Drop each picture below to read the article...

https://twitter.com/NiksBuzz/status/136 ... 22528?s=20 ---> Here is an article published in Take Off a U.K. magazine by Air Marshal NL Gupta (retd). Then Squadron Leader.

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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by ramana »

Thanks for the Longewala Hunter strike details. I informed Shiv about his cousin K. Suresh's exploits and that painting!!!
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Cyrano »

Legendary WWI fighter pilot Hardit Singh’s statue to be erected in BritainTNN | Mar 6, 2021, 11.59 PM IST

LONDON: A statue of the first Indian fighter pilot of Royal Flying Corps, Hardit Singh Malik, known as the ‘Flying Sikh’, will be erected in Southampton as a tribute to all black and ethnic community personnel who had served in both the world wars.
Malik, born in Rawalpindi in pre-partition India, was refused entry to the British Army as a commissioned officer twice, owing to the attitudes towards race at the time. It was not until his tutor at Balliol College, Oxford, Francis Urquhart, wrote a furious letter to Major-General David Henderson, the commander of Royal Flying Corps (RFC), that Malik was accepted into the RFC on April 5, 1917.
As a cadet, he wore a specially designed flying helmet that fitted over his turban that earned him the nickname the ‘Flying Hobgoblin’.

“He is the perfect example of messages we want to send out on equality and diversity,” said Pritheepal Singh, CEO of One Community Hampshire and Dorset, a multi-faith non-profit organization that initiated the project in conjunction with the Southampton Council of Gurdwaras. They are launching a campaign to raise £300,000 (Rs 3 crore) to fund the statue, a documentary, book and exhibitions.


Malik survived his aircraft being hit with 450 bullets and crash-landing. When he died on October 31, 1985, in Delhi, he still had two German bullets embedded in his leg.

After the war, Malik became prime minister of Patiala state, the first Indian High Commissioner to Canada, and later Ambassador to France.


British artist Luke Perry has been commissioned to create the 17-foot bronze statue, which will show a 9.5 foot Malik standing on the iconic engine of a Sopwith Camel — the same as fictional character Biggles flew — on top of a plinth.
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Re: The IAF History Thread

Post by Rakesh »

https://twitter.com/singhshwetabh71/sta ... 21444?s=20 ---> Two Canberra B(I).58s of Indian Air Force on a high-altitude sortie.

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