IAF'S ROLE IN THE WAR WITH PAKISTAN IN 1971

For the first time in the history of warfare, an armoured thrust was defeated by air action alone in just two days

- AIR MARSHAL B.K. PANDEY (RETD)

AN ARMED CONFLICT BETWEEN THE BENGALI NATIONALISTS in what was then East Pakistan and the Pakistani armed forces deployed there, became a war of liberation of East Pakistan in 1971 from the domineering West Pakistan that is reported to have massacred around three million Muslims and Hindus. This initially resulted in a flood of Bengali refugees into India and ultimately led to the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971 in which the Indian armed forces got involved in a big way as it escalated into a full scale war between India and Pakistan. In this war against Pakistan for the liberation of East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh that lasted for 14 days, the Indian Air Force (IAF) played a significant role that is recorded in the annals of military history as the Lightening Campaign. The 50th anniversary of the victory will be celebrated a year from now!

FOUR HUNTERS OF NO. 20 SQN RAID MURID AIRFIELD

WESTERN THEATRE

The Indian armed forces joined the war on December 3, 1971, after Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched Operation Chengiz Khan which included pre-emptive air strikes in the day time on 11 military targets that included forward air bases and radar installations of the IAF in the Western sector i.e. in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan. In retaliation, the IAF went into action at midnight on December 3, 1971 with the aim primarily of knocking the Sabre fighter jets of the PAF out of action. The aerial action was expanded to massive retaliatory air strikes the next morning. At least in the initial stages, the air campaign in the Western sector was limited to striking forward bases of the PAF and providing close air support to the land forces during offensive or defensive operations.