IAF to operationalise No.18 Squadron at Coimbatore

Indian Air Force (IAF) will operationalise its .18 Squron at Coimbatore in Tamil Nu on May 27, equipping it with fourth generation LCA Tejas aircraft.

A PIB (Defence Wing) release said IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhauria will operationalise squron "Flying Bullets" at Sulur Air Force Station near Coimbatore on Wednesday.

" Squron will be equipped with LCA Tejas FOC (final operation clearance) aircraft and will be second IAF Squron to fly LCA Tejas," after 45 Squron based at Coimbatore, it said.

.18 Squron, formed in 1965 with motto "Teevra aur Nirbhaya" meaning "Swift and Fearless," was earlier flying MiG 27 aircraft. Squron "actively participated" in 1971 war with Pakistan and was decorated with highest gallantry award Param Vir Chakra awarded to Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon posthumously.

"It earned sobriquet Defenders of Kashmir Valley by being first to land and operate from Srinagar," it said.

" Squron was resurrected on April 1 this year at Sulur," release ded.

According to release, Tejas is an indigeus fourth generation tailless compound delta-wing aircraft.

aircraft is equipped with fly-by-wire flight control system, integrated digital avionics, multimode rar and its structure is me of composite material.

"It is lightest and smallest in its group of fourth generation supersonic combat aircraft," Defence release said.

(Im - PTI)