No. 44 Squadron IAF

No. 44 Squadron is a unit of the Indian Air Force assigned to Maintenance Command. The Squadron participates in operations involving air, land and airdrop of troops, equipment, supplies, and support or augment special operations forces, when appropriate.

History
Soviet built An-12 and IL-14 were inducted during the period March 1961 to July 1963. Two new operational squadrons were formed, namely No. 44 and No. 25, and based at Chandigarh.

The most remarkable achievement of the An-12 fleet was its modification to a “Bombing Role” just before the 1971 Bangladesh War.

The Indian Army had expected a massive attack from Pakistan on the western borders, and the Pakistani Army concentrated 30,000 troops around Kashmir to capture it. IAF saved the day by deploying the modified An-12s to bomb Pakistani positions and troop concentrations.

Aircraft of the No. 44 Squadron flew night missions, unescorted, and did intense carpet bombing, rolling out nine tones of fire from each aircraft. They were always in waves of six aircraft, and fortunately, all returned home safe.

Replacement for An–12s was considered, and by 1985 the Soviet IL–76 MD was found to be the most suitable aircraft. It could carry 48 tonnes of payload, or one T-72 tank weighing 42 tonnes comfortably.

Notably, 44 Squadron is the only transport squadron of the Indian Air Force to be conferred the Battle Honours, a feat otherwise reserved for active operational combat units No. 44 Squadron has flown relief missions to Sri Lanka and Indonesia during Tsunami disaster, rescuing men and to avalanche victims in Kashmir as well SOS missions to quake-affected Iran.

Lineage

 * Constituted as No. 44 Squadron (Mighty Jets) on 6 April 1961
 * Designated the emblem of "Himalayan geese" on 26 May 1966

Assignments

 * Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
 * Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
 * Operation Cactus
 * Hurricane Katrina disaster relief

Aircraft

 * IL-76