Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Oct 22: 153 Helicopter Unit, AF, fondly called ‘Daring Dragons’, commenced its Silver Jubilee celebrations here today.
The main role of the unit which was raised on November 1, 1988 at Udhampur under the able command of Wing Commander, RM Sridharan as its first Commanding Officer with a establishment of 25 officers and 200 other ranks, included air maintenance, special heliborne operations, communications, casualty evacuation and aid to civil authorities.
The unit has been actively operating hand in hand with Indian Army in ‘Operation Meghdoot’ for the past 24 years braving intense weather conditions and challenging terrain to provide logistics support in the ‘highest battlefield in the world’ of Siachen glacier.
The unit has been actively engaged in CI operations in J&K carrying out troop induction and de-induction during various operations and has played a pivotal role in completion of the anti-infiltration fence along the LoC.
Besides this, the unit has actively conducted rescue missions during natural disasters in remote areas of the State, which were hit by snowfall, cloud burst and earthquake by evacuating casualties and carrying relief material to the areas.
On the eve of its Silver Jubilee, the unit is conducting a two-day symposium on ‘Glacier Operations’, which started today.
The welcome address was delivered by Wing Commander, Saibal Roy, Commanding Officer, 153, HU, AF while the opening address was carried out by the Station Commander, 39 Wing Group Captain, DP Hirani.
Group Captain, AV Mokashi widened the perspective of young pilots towards ‘out of area operations’, in his address.
On day one, today, the symposium was attended by many retired and serving officers of the unit.
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