No. 3 Squadron IAF
| No. 3 Squadron | |
|---|---|
"The crest of the No. 3 Squadron"
|
|
| Active | October 1941 - Present |
| Role |
Close Air Support Interdiction Reconnaissance |
| Base | AFS Ambala |
| Nickname(s) | Cobras |
| Motto(s) |
Lakshya Vedh (Sanskrit: " Destroy Target with Precision") |
| Engagements |
Hur's Operations NWFP |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Om Prakash Mehra |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
A Winged dagger clenched in a fist and entwined by a cobra |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Mig 21 Bison |
Hur's Operations NWFP
Burma Campaign
Operation Polo
Western Air War, 1965
Liberation War, 1971
The No.3 Squadron (Cobras) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) operates as a Close Air Support (CAS) and reconnaissance unit. Currently based at Pathankot Air Force Station, No. 3 Sqn falls under the Western Air Command, and alongside the No. 26 Sqn (Warriors), No. 104HU (Pioneer Rotarians) and No.125HU (Gladiators), forms the 18 wing of the IAF.
No. 3 Squadron's emblem is a winged dagger clenched in a fist and entwined by a cobra. Below this crest, the words Lakshya Vedh, literally 'on target,' are written upon a scroll.
No. 3 Squadron (Cobras) was formed on 1 October 1941 at Peshawar equipped with Hawker Audax light bombers transferred from No. 28 Squadron RAF under the command of Sqn Ldr Nan Bray. The initial recruits to the unit were drawn from No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force. Tasked with the role of fighter reconnaissance, the third squadron initially operated two flights of eight Audax aircraft. The Third Squadron was first deployed in December 1941 on a mission in the North-West Frontier Province, against the insurgency of the Faqir of Ipi, in an area that is now part of Pakistan. The squadron has since flown with distinction in a number of conflicts, including the Burma Campaign, Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the 1971 Liberation War.
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