Corps of Army Air Defence (India)

The Corps of Army Air Defence, (abbreviated as AAD), is an active corps of the Indian Army and a major combative formation tasked with air defences of the country from foreign threats. AAD Corps hold the responsibility of protection the Indian Air Space from enemy aircraft and missiles.

Pre Independence
Air Defence Artillery in India was first established in 1939, during the Second World War by the British Government to counter the Japanese air threat in South-East Asia. Few Indian troops were trained in the use of the 3-inch Ack-Ack gun and later the 40 mm L/60 gun, as part of the Anti-aircraft (AA) Batteries of Hongkong and Singapore Royal Artillery (HKSRA) and Indian Artillery. From 1941 onwards, the Anti-Aircraft units and training establishments began to be raised in India with Indian Officers and men being posted into these establishments from the Regiment of Artillery and infantry units.

Britain Government decided to retain the existing Anti-Aircraft units for static role tasks and to raise new regular army Anti-Aircraft units. Consequently, the High Altitude Airship units were raised for static role against High Altitude Bombers and the Low Altitude Airship units were raised for mobile role against low flying fighter aircraft.

Anti-Aircraft units and formations were organised based on gun density requirement i.e. number of guns required for the protection of various Vulnerable Points and Areas. Anti-Aircraft defence was meant to be static and was deployed in a group to deter, if not, destroy the enemy. Barrage fire dictated deployment of batteries in layers and rings, providing a form of area defence.

In July 1940, Anti-Aircraft and Coast Defence Wings were established at Karachi for training of Indian Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers and Non Commissioned Officer in the Anti-Aircraft techniques. In August 1940, British War Office decided to create an Anti-Aircraft branch of Indian Artillery on the concept of Towed Artillery. On 14 September 1940, one Indian Anti-Aircraft Technical Training Battery was formed at Colaba, Bombay. It included nucleus of the first Anti-Aircraft unit of Indian Artillery – the (Royal) High Altitude Airship ('R' HAA) Regiment. In Jan 1941, Light Anti-Aircraft unit called the ‘U’ Anti-Aircraft Regiment (‘U’ LAA) was raised at Malir Cantonment (Now in Pakistan) and was equipped with L/60 guns. In April 1941, both of these units were re-named and thus ‘R’ HAA became 1 Indian High Altitude Airship Regiment IA and ‘U’ LAA became 1 Indian Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment IA.

By 1942, when two Anti-Aircraft training centres (AATC) were raised, there were eighteen Anti-Aircraft regiments (ie nine High Altitude Airship Regiments and nine Low Altitude Airship Regiments), four Headquarted Anti-Aircraft Brigades, two Independent Low Altitude Airship Batteries and one Independent High Altitude Airship Battery. By the year 1944, there were a total of 33 Air Defence Artillery units. However, immediately after the Second World War, a large number of these units were disbanded.

Post Independence
At the time of partition in 1947, only two Air Defence Artillery units i.e. 26 and 27 Low Altitude Airship Regiments came to India. Neither of the two oldest Anti-Aircraft Establishment in India, i.e. I Training Battery and ‘R’ HAA Regiment survived into Independent India.

The post 1971 Indo-Pak War, Air Defence Artillery saw rapid modernisation and mechanization. Many latest weapon system were introduced into service during this period, with the Tiger Cat Mobile Land-Based System in 1972, the ZSU-23-4B Schilka in 1973, the ZU-23-2B guns in 1976, and the OSA-AK system was introduced between 1985 and 1986. Subsequently the Igla surface-to-air missile and the Strela-10M missiles were introduced between 1988 and 1989.

One of the defining periods in the Air Defence Corps history was from 1987 to 1994, when the following momentous events took place, resulting in a new identity for the Air Defence Artillery of India :-
 * Move of Air Defence Wing from School of Artillery from Devlali to Gopalpur and the establishment of Air Defence Guided Missile School (now rechristened as Army Air Defence College) at Gopalpur Military Station in Orissa during December 1989.
 * After bifurcation from the Regiment of Artillery in Oct 1993, the Corps of Air Defence Artillery came into its own on 10 January 1994. The Directorate General of Air Defence Artillery came into existence on the same day. Likewise, the Air Defence Artillery branches at the various Command Headquarters also took came into existence. The Air Defence Guided Missile School at Gopalpur started functioning as an autonomous entity and the Air Defence Wing at Artillery Centre, Nasik Road Camp became the Air Defence Guided Missile Centre.

The Corps of Air Defence Artillery has been re-designated as ‘Corps of Army Air Defence’ with effect from 18 Apr 2005.

Regimental Crest
In 1994, after bifurcation of Air Defence Artillery from the Regiment of Artillery, a committee was set up under Major General A Mukherjee, AVSM for selection of the Corps Crest. The committee appointed National Institute of Design at Ahmedabad, for designing the crest. Mr Vijay Singh of NID, designed the crest. The crest of Corps of Army Air Defence reflects the neo-facet of Army Air Defence. The crest embellished in hues of silver and gold comprises a missile with radar antennae on either side. The fiery exhaust of the missile and the radar radiations emitting outward signify the ever readiness and omni-competence of the Army Air Defence gunners. The crest is emblazoned with the Corps motto, “Akashe Shatrun Jahi”, which is engraved in Devnagri script on the scroll placed below.

Regimental Flag
The sky blue and the red are the official colours of the Corps of Army Air Defence, forms an ideal setting for the Army Air Defence crest, which is the centrepiece of the flag. The sky blue colour depicts the clear sky under the reign of the gunners of Army Air Defence, using the fire-power of their guns and missiles depicted by the red colour.

Regimental Motto
In 1994, the appositely  worded  Corps  motto  Hindi: आकाशे शत्रुन् जहि(Akashe Shatrun Jahi), meaning “Kill the Enemy   in the Sky” was selected in April 1996.

Army Air Defence College
Army Air Defence College, a prestigious training institution of Army Air Defence is located on the Eastern Sea Coast of India.The campus of the college is spread over more than 2700 acres of land. In addition to Army personnel, Navy and Air Force personnel including students from friendly foreign defence forces also undergo various courses at Army Air Defence College.The role of Army Air Defence College is to function as a "Centre of Excellence" on all matters concerning Army Air Defence.