One of the many neglected chapters in the Indian military history
is the role played by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the Sino-Indian
War of 1962. The only document on the subject is a 25-page chapter
in the unpublished Official History, which fails to do justice to
the vital and remarkable role played by the IAF in some of the most
hostile operating conditions found anywhere in the world. This work
attempts to fill this vital gap. The Indian Air Force had been
involved in the build-up in Ladakh and NEFA right from the time the
first of many posts was set up in 1950. Thereafter, it was its
responsibility to support and sustain the posts set up in both the
sectors as well as various patrols that were sent forward to show
the Indian flag. The IAF was also involved in the Army's build-up.
This was one continuous operation for the IAF, day in day out - the
only break that the aircrew could get was due to bad weather. The
main test for the IAF came when the Indians and Chinese came
face-to-face at Thagla ridge and the Chinese invasion commenced
soon thereafter. The demand for airlift suddenly increased manifold
with an urgency associated with forces that have been caught
unprepared. The IAF met the challenge, the ground crews working
round the clock and the aircrews flying in conditions that are
difficult to imagine. There is no other instance in aviation
history wherein any air force has been able to increase its effort
almost ten times - the IAF's resources were already stretched even
before September 1962. Each and every demand of the Army was met
without a murmur and not a single adversity could be attributed to
the inability of the IAF to deliver. What is not surprising is that
the credit that is due to it for its efforts has eluded it so far
because no attention has been paid to the role played by the IAF in
this war. The story would have been altogether different if the
combat elements of the IAF had been utilised - the reasons for the
same still remain shrouded in mystery. Another chapter in the IAF's
history about which very little is known is its efforts to
modernise post 1962. This work attempts to unravel these mysteries
as well as describes the valiant efforts of the air warriors of the
IAF.
General
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