# List of active Indian Air Force aircraft squadrons

This is an organized list of all of the active aircraft squadrons that currently exist in the Indian Air Force. Squadrons might have changed names and designations many times over the years, so they are listed by their current designation. Expeditionary and provisional units are not listed.

## Combat

| Squadron Name | Nickname | Command | Date First Activated | Base | Aircraft |
| No. 1 Squadron | Tigers | Central Air Command | 1 April 1933 | Maharajpur AFS, Madhya Pradesh | Mirage 2000 |
| No. 2 Squadron | Winged Arrows | Eastern Air Command | 1 April 1941 | Tezpur AFS, Assam | Su-30MKI |
| No. 3 Squadron | Cobras | South Western Air Command | 1 October 1941 | NAL AFS, Rajasthan | MiG-21 |
| No. 4 Squadron | Oorials | South Western Air Command | 1 February 1942 | Uttarlai AFS, Rajasthan | Su-30MKI |
| No. 5 Squadron | Tuskers | Western Air Command | 2 November 1948 | Ambala AFS, Punjab | Jaguar |
| No. 6 Squadron | Dragons | South Western Air Command | 1 December 1942 | Jamnagar AFS, Gujarat | Jaguar |
| No. 7 Squadron | Battle Axes | Central Air Command | 1 December 1942 | Maharajpur AFS, Madhya Pradesh | Mirage 2000 |
| No. 8 Squadron | Eight Pursoots | Central Air Command | 1 December 1942 | Bareilly AFS, Uttar Pradesh | Su-30MKI |
| No. 9 Squadron | Wolfpack | Central Air Command | 4 January 1944 | Maharajpur AFS, Madhya Pradesh | Mirage 2000 |
| No. 14 Squadron | Bulls | Western Air Command | 15 August 1951 | Ambala AFS, Punjab | Jaguar |
| No. 15 Squadron | Flying Lancers | Western Air Command | 20 August 1951 | Sirsa AFS, Punjab | Su-30MKI |
| No. 16 Squadron | Black Cobras | Central Air Command | 1950 | Gorakhpur AFS, Uttar Pradesh | Jaguar |
| No. 17 Squadron | Goldern Arrows | Western Air Command | 1 October 1951 | Ambala AFS, Punjab | Rafale |
| No. 18 Squadron | Flying Bullets | South Western Air Command | 15 April 1965 | Naliya AFS, Gujarat | Tejas |
| No. 20 Squadron | Lightnings | South Western Air Command | 1 June 1956 | Lohegaon AFS, Maharashtra | Su-30MKI |
| No. 23 Squadron | Panthers | South Western Air Command | 1 October 1956 | NAL AFS, Rajasthan | MiG-21 |
| No. 24 Squadron | Hawks | Central Air Command | 19 February 1962 | Bareilly AFS, Uttar Pradesh | Su-30MKI |
| No. 27 Squadron | Flaming Arrows | Central Air Command | 15 February 1957 | Gorakhpur AFS, Uttar Pradesh | Jaguar |
| No. 28 Squadron | First Supersonics | Western Air Command | 23 March 1963 | Adampur AFS, Punjab | MiG-29 |
| No. 30 Squadron | Rhinos | South Western Air Command | 1 November 1969 | Lohegaon AFS, Maharashtra | Su-30MKI |
| No. 31 Squadron | Lions | South Western Air Command | 1 September 1963 | Jodhpur AFS, Rajasthan | Su-30MKI |
| No. 45 Squadron | Flying Daggers | Southern Air Command | 20 November 1959 | Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu | Tejas |
| No. 47 Squadron | Black Archers | Western Air Command | 18 December 1959 | Adampur AFS, Punjab | MiG-29 |
| No. 101 Squadron | Falcons | Eastern Air Command | 1 May 1949 | Hasimara AFS, West Bengal | Rafale |
| No. 102 Squadron | Trisonics | Eastern Air Command | 25 August 1981 | Chabua AFS, Assam | Su-30MKI |
| No. 106 Squadron | Lynxes | Eastern Air Command | 11 December 1959 | Tezpur AFS, Assam | Su-30MKI |
| No. 220 Squadron | Desert Tigers | Western Air Command | 23 December 1957 | Halwara AFS, Punjab | Su-30MKI |
| No. 221 Squadron | Valiants | Western Air Command | 14 February 1963 | Halwara AFS, Punjab | Su-30MKI |
| No. 222 Squadron | Tigersharks | Southern Air Command | 15 September 1969 | Thanjavur AFS, Tamil Nadu | Su-30MKI |
| No. 223 Squadron | Tridents | Western Air Command | 10 May 1982 | Srinagar AFS, Jammu and Kashmir | MiG-29 |
| No. 224 Squadron | Warlords | South Western Air Command | 4 October 1983 | Jamnagar AFS, Gujarat | Jaguar |

## Transport

| Squadron Name | Nickname | Command | Date First Activated | Base | Aircraft |
| No. 11 Squadron | Charging Rhinos | South Western Air Command | 15 November 1951 | Makarpura AFS, Gujarat | Airbus C-295 |
| No. 12 Squadron | Yaks | Central Air Command | 1 December 1945 | Agra AFS, Uttar Pradesh | An-32 |
| N/A Flying Squadron | | Central Air Command | | Agra AFS, Uttar Pradesh | Airbus C-295 |
| No. 19 Squadron | | Southern Air Command | 24 May 1960 | Port Blair AFS, Andaman and Nicobar | Do-228 |
| No. 25 Squadron | Himalayan Eagles | South Western Air Command | 1 March 1963 | Makarpura AFS, Gujarat | An-32 |
| No. 33 Squadron | Himalayan Geese | Southern Air Command | 9 January 1963 | Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu | An-32 |
| No. 41 Squadron | Otters | Western Air Command | 1 March 1958 | Palam AFS, Delhi | HS 748 Do-228 |
| No. 43 Squadron | Ibex | Eastern Air Command | 20 January 1958 | Jorhat AFS, Assam | An-32 |
| No. 44 Squadron | Mighty Jets | Western Air Command | 31 March 1961 | Chandigarh AFS, Chandigarh | Il-76 |
| No. 48 Squadron | Camels | Western Air Command | 15 November 1959 | Chandigarh AFS, Chandigarh | An-32 |
| No. 49 Squadron | Paraspears | Eastern Air Command | 2 February 1960 | Jorhat AFS, Assam | An-32 |
| No. 59 Squadron | Hornbills | Eastern Air Command | 14 February 1960 | Guwahati AFS, Assam | Do-228 |
| No. 77 Squadron | Veiled Vipers | Western Air Command | 5 February 2011 | Hindon AFS, Delhi | C-130J |
| No. 81 Squadron | Sky Lords | Western Air Command | 1 September 2013 | Hindon AFS, Delhi | C-17 |
| No. 87 Squadron | Raiding Raptors | Eastern Air Command | 6 May 2016 | Panagarh AFS, West Bengal | C-130J |

## Helicopter

| Squadron Name | Nickname | Command | Date First Activated | Base | Aircraft |
| No. 104 Helicopter Squadron | Firebirds | South Western Air Command | 25 August 1992 | Suratgarh AFS, Rajasthan | Mi-35 |
| No. 125 Helicopter Squadron | Gladiators | Western Air Command | 31 December 1983 | Pathankot AFS, Punjab | AH-64 |
| No. 105 Helicopter Unit | Daring Eagles | Central Air Command | 23 November 1959 | Gorakhpur AFS, Uttar Pradesh | Mi-17 |
| No. 107 Helicopter Unit | Desert Hawks | South Western Air Command | 1 January 1960 | Jodhpur AFS, Rajasthan | Mi-17 |
| No. 109 Helicopter Unit | Knights | Southern Air Command | 26 August 1961 | Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu | Mi-17 |
| No. 110 Helicopter Unit | Vanguards | Eastern Air Command | 10 August 1963 | Kumbhigram AFS, Assam | Mi-17 |
| No. 111 Helicopter Unit | Snow Tigers | Central Air Command | 1 August 1963 | Bareilly AFS, Uttar Pradesh | Dhruv |
| No. 112 Helicopter Unit | Thoroughbreds | Training Command | 1 August 1963 | Yelahanka AFS, Karnataka | Mi-17 |
| No. 114 Helicopter Unit | Siachen Pioneers | Western Air Command | 1 April 1964 | Leh AFS, Ladakh | Cheetah |
| No. 115 Helicopter Unit | Hovering Angels | Eastern Air Command | 1 April 1967 | Tezpur AFS, Assam | Dhruv |
| No. 116 Helicopter Unit | Tankbusters | South Western Air Command | 1 January 1970 | Jodhpur AFS, Rajasthan | Chetak |
| No. 117 Helicopter Unit | Himalyan Dragons | Central Air Command | 1 February 1971 | Saraswa AFS, Uttar Pradesh | Dhruv |
| No. 118 Helicopter Unit | Challengers | Eastern Air Command | 22 November 1971 | Guwahati AFS, Assam | Mi-17 |
| No. 119 Helicopter Unit | Stallions | South Western Air Command | 3 March 1972 | Jamnagar AFS, Gujarat | Mi-17 |
| No. 127 Helicopter Unit | First Ranas | Eastern Air Command | 10 January 1985 | Mohanbari AFS, Assam | Mi-17 |
| No. 128 Helicopter Unit | Siachen Tigers | Eastern Air Command | 30 December 1985 | Mohanbari AFS, Assam | Mi-17 |
| No. 129 Helicopter Unit | Nubra Warriors | Central Air Command | 1 July 1987 | Hindon AFS, Delhi | Mi-17 |
| No. 130 Helicopter Unit | Condors | Western Air Command | 15 February 1988 | Leh AFS, Ladakh | Mi-17 |
| No. 143 Helicopter Unit | Dhanush | South Western Air Command | 1 June 2022 | Jodhpur AFS, Rajasthan | Prachand |
| No. 152 Helicopter Unit | Mighty Armours | Central Air Command | 14 September 1988 | Saraswa AFS, Uttar Pradesh | Mi-17 |
| No. 153 Helicopter Unit | Daring Dragons | Western Air Command | 1 November 1988 | Udhampur AFS, Jammu and Kashmir | Mi-17 |
| No. 154 Helicopter Unit | Snow Leopards | Western Air Command | 8 March 2012 | Srinagar AFS, Jammu and Kashmir | Mi-17 |
| No. 155 Helicopter Unit | Kirpans | South Western Air Command | 14 January 2011 | Suratgarh AFS, Rajasthan | Mi-17 |
| No. 156 Helicopter Unit | Armoured Kestrals | Eastern Air Command | 23 January 2012 | Bagdogra AFS, West Bengal | Mi-17 |
| No. 157 Helicopter Unit | Tarkshya | Eastern Air Command | 9 April 2012 | Barrackpore AFS, West Bengal | Mi-17 |
| No. 158 Helicopter Unit | Silver Falcions | South Western Air Command | 10 December 2012 | Phalodi AFS, Rajasthan | Mi-17 |
| No. 159 Helicopter Unit | Rudraksh | South Western Air Command | 11 February 2013 | Nagpur AFS, Maharashtra | Mi-17 |
| No. 121 Helicopter Flight | Sea Eagles | South Western Air Command | 7 January 1973 | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Mi-17 |
| No. 122 Helicopter Flight | Flying Dolphins | Southern Air Command | 26 September 1981 | Car Nicobar AFS, Andaman and Nicobar | Mi-17 |
| No. 126 Helicopter Flight | Featherweights | Western Air Command | 15 May 1986 | Chandigarh AFS, Chandigarh | CH-47 |
| No. 131 Helicopter Flight | Eagle Eyes | Southern Air Command | 2 August 1974 | Thanjavur AFS, Tamil Nadu | Cheetah Chetak |
| No. 132 Helicopter Flight | Hovering Hawks | Western Air Command | | Udhampur AFS, Jammu and Kashmir | Cheetah |

## Aerial Refueling

| Squadron Name | Insignia | Nickname | Command | Date First Activated | Base | Aircraft | Reference |
| No. 78 Squadron | | Valarous Mars | Central Air Command | 16 December 2002 | Agra AFS, Uttar Pradesh | Il-78MKI | |

## Electronic warfare/Airborne early warning(AWS)

| Squadron Name | Nickname | Command | Date First Activated | Base | Aircraft |
| No. 50 Squadron | Adwitiya | Central Air Command | 1 October 2008 | Agra AFS, Uttar Pradesh | A-50 |
| No. 181 Flight | Hawks | Western Air Command | 5 August 1978 | Hindon AFS, Delhi | 737 SIGNIT 748-R |
| No. 200 Squadron | Netra | Western Air Command | 4 December 2014 | Bathinda AFS, Punjab | ERJ-145SM AEW&C |

## Aerobatics display

| Squadron Name | Insignia | Nickname | Command | Date First Activated | Base | Aircraft | Reference |
| No. 52 Squadron | | Sharks / Suryakiran Aerobatics Team (SKAT) | Training Command | 1 January 1986 | Bidar AFS, Karnataka | Hawk | |
| No. 151 Helicopter Unit | | Sarangs | Southern Air Command | 1 June 1989 | Sulur AFS, Tamil Nadu | Dhruv | |

## Remotely piloted aircraft (RPA)

| Squadron Name | Nickname | Command | Date First Activated | Base | Aircraft |
| No. 3001 Squadron | | Western Air Command | 27 November 2000 | Bathinda AFS, Punjab | |
| No. 3002 Squadron | Cats Eyes | South Western Air Command | 3 December 2003 | Jaisalmer AFS, Rajasthan | |
| No. 3003 Squadron | Trinetra | Western Air Command | 1 December 2003 | Jammu AFS, Jammu and Kashmir | |
| No. 3004 Squadron | | South Western Air Command | 4 December 2014 | Naliya AFS, Gujarat | |
| No. 3005 Squadron | Warden of the North | Western Air Command | 14 June 2005 | Awantipur AFS, Jammu and Kashmir | IAI Heron Mk 2 |