Tejas (SP-07) of No. 45 Squadron IAF Flying Daggers in inverted flight
| No. 45 Squadron | |
|---|---|
No.45 squadron patch
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| Active |
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| Country |  Republic of India |
| Branch |  Indian Air Force |
| Role | Air superiority Precision Strike Combat air patrol |
| Garrison/HQ | Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu[1] |
| Nickname(s) | Flying Daggers |
| Motto(s) | Ajithakshay Invincible in the sky |
| Engagements | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Atlantique shootdown |
| Decorations |
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| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Group Captain Surendran M[3] |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | HAL Tejas |
No. 45 Squadron Indian Air Force (Flying Daggers) is a Fighter Squadron internally based at Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu.[1] The squadron operates the indigenous HAL Tejas fighter from 1 July 2016.[4] The squadron was initially based at Bangalore, Karnataka and later shifted to its main base in Sulur from 1 June 2018.[1]
The squadron was raised on 15 February 1957,[5] with de Havilland Vampires, as a Ground-Attack and Close Air Support unit. Later The Vampires were replaced by MiG-21Bison. The MiGs which were operated from Naliya were withdrawn from squadron service in 2002. It is the first operational squadron of the indigenous fighter jet HAL Tejas.[4] The squadron operated from HAL Airport,[6] Bangalore for nearly two years before it moved to its designated locations at Sulur near Coimbatore.[7] It is also the first fighter squadron to be part of the Southern Air Command of IAF headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram. Group Captain Madhav Rangachari is the first commanding officer.
On 1 September 1965, during the Indo-Pakistani War, No. 45 Squadron IAF responded to a request for strikes against a counter-attack by the Pakistan Army (Operation Grand Slam), and twelve Vampire Mk 52 fighter-bombers were successful in slowing the Pakistani advance. However, the Vampires encountered two PAF F-86 Sabres, in the ensuing dogfight, the outdated Vampires were outclassed. One was shot down by ground fire and another three were shot down by Sabres.[8][9] The Vampires were withdrawn from front line service after these losses.
Indian Air Force No.45 Squadron was involved in the Atlantique incident on 10 August 1999. Two MiG-21 Bison from No.45 Squadron IAF equipped with R-60 missiles intercepted and following warnings issued and hostile action shot down a Pakistan Navy reconnaissance plane.[10][11]
Aircraft types operated by the squadron[12]
| Aircraft Type | From | To | Air Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| de Havilland Vampire | 20 November 1959 | February 1965 | AFS Palam[13] |
| Mig-21 FL | February 1966 | July 1973 | AFS Chandigarh[13] |
| July 1973 | May 1978 | AFS Bareilly[13] | |
| May 1978 | April 1982 | AFS Jamnagar[13] | |
| Mig-21 bis | April 1982 | December 2002 | AFS Naliya[14] |
| HAL Tejas MK.1 | 1 July 2016 | 30 June 2018 | Bangalore |
| 1 July 2018 | Present | AFS Sulur[15][16] |
The squadron has 16 Tejas aircraft in currently in service.[15]
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