{"id":26296688,"date":"2026-10-03T11:02:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T09:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/golden-arrows-75-years-no-17-squadron-iaf-mig-21-rafale-ambala\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T11:02:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T09:02:45","slug":"golden-arrows-75-years-no-17-squadron-iaf-mig-21-rafale-ambala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/fr\/golden-arrows-75-years-no-17-squadron-iaf-mig-21-rafale-ambala\/","title":{"rendered":"Golden Arrows at 75: No. 17 Squadron, From MiG-21 to Rafale"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\n\n<style>\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid 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Today No. 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows, flies the Rafale out of <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-bases\/ambala\/\">Ambala<\/a>, and on 1 October 2026 it celebrated its platinum jubilee there with its jets, its veterans and a special first-day postal cover.<\/p>\n<p>In between lies one of the richest histories in Indian military aviation: <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/hawker-hunter\/\">Hawker Hunters<\/a> over Goa and East Pakistan, four decades on the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/mig-21-fishbed\/\">MiG-21<\/a>, the night bombing missions of Kargil that cost the squadron a flight commander, and the honour of becoming India's first Rafale unit.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border:1px solid #e2e7ee;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Unit:<\/strong> No. 17 Squadron, Indian Air Force, \"Golden Arrows\"<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Formed:<\/strong> 1 October 1951<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Aircraft:<\/strong> Harvard IIB, Vampire, Hawker Hunter, MiG-21, Dassault Rafale<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Combat:<\/strong> Goa 1961, 1965 and 1971 wars, Kargil 1999, Operation Sindoor 2025<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Current base:<\/strong> Ambala Air Force Station<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>First Rafales arrived:<\/strong> 29 July 2020<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Jubilee:<\/strong> Celebrated at Ambala on 1 October 2026<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">From Harvards to Hunters<\/h2>\n<p>The squadron started on the North American Harvard, moved to the de Havilland Vampire jet in the mid-1950s and then to the Hawker Hunter, which it flew for almost two decades.<\/p>\n<p>Its Hunters went to war in 1961, when six of them attacked the wireless station at Bambolim during the Indian operation to take Goa. In 1971 the squadron flew strikes over East Pakistan, and its commanding officer, Wing Commander Narinder Chatrath, was awarded the Vir Chakra.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">The MiG-21 years and Kargil<\/h2>\n<p>In 1975 the Golden Arrows converted to the MiG-21 and moved to Bhisiana, near Bathinda in Punjab. They would fly the Soviet delta for more than 40 years.<\/p>\n<p>Their hardest test came in the summer of 1999, during Operation Safed Sagar, the air campaign of the Kargil war. The squadron, then commanded by Wing Commander Birender Singh Dhanoa, flew MiG-21s on low-level night bombing missions in the narrow Himalayan valleys, at altitudes for which the aircraft had never been intended.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #1565c0;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7;display:flex;gap:20px;align-items:flex-start\"><div><em>&ldquo;Everything, the speed, altitude, course and timing of bomb release, had to be precise and accurate to hit the target.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa (retd)<\/strong> &mdash; commanding officer of No. 17 Squadron during Kargil, quoted by The Tribune<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<p>On 27 May 1999 the squadron lost its flight commander, Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja. His MiG-21 was hit by a shoulder-fired Stinger missile while he stayed over enemy positions to help locate Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa, whose MiG-27 had suffered an engine flameout. Ahuja ejected but was killed on the ground, and was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra. Dhanoa went on to become Chief of the Air Staff.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/indian-air-force-mig-21-bison-takeoff.jpg\" alt=\"Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison taking off with afterburner\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">An Indian Air Force MiG-21 Bison taking off. No. 17 Squadron flew the MiG-21 from 1975 until 2016. Photo: Sanil Nath \/ CC BY 4.0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Reborn with the Rafale<\/h2>\n<p>The squadron was number-plated in 2016 and resurrected at Ambala in September 2019, specifically to receive the Rafale. The first five jets landed there on 29 July 2020 after a ferry flight from France, and were formally inducted that September.<\/p>\n<p>According to Dhanoa, the Golden Arrows were chosen for the honour because they were the most decorated squadron of the Kargil war. The Tribune reports that the unit added two Vir Chakras, four Vayu Sena Medals and ten Mentions in Despatches during Operation Sindoor in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Seventy-five years on, the Golden Arrows sit at the centre of India's fighter force, and if New Delhi buys 114 more Rafales, they will be the squadron everyone else learns from. The aircraft that made their reputation, the MiG-21, has left Indian service, but it is still flying elsewhere, including from Florida, where civilians can still take one supersonic.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MkCFODUHm4k\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p><em>Sources: The Tribune, Indian Air Force, Wikipedia, GKToday, SSBCrack<\/em><\/p>\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\n\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\n\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\n\n\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What is the Golden Arrows squadron?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">The Golden Arrows is the nickname of No. 17 Squadron of the Indian Air Force, formed on 1 October 1951. It has flown the Harvard, Vampire, Hawker Hunter, MiG-21 and, since 2020, the Dassault Rafale, and it is based at Ambala.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>When did No. 17 Squadron get the Rafale?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. 17 Squadron was resurrected at Ambala in September 2019 to become the Indian Air Force's first Rafale unit. The first five Rafales arrived at Ambala on 29 July 2020 and were formally inducted in September 2020.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What did No. 17 Squadron do in the Kargil war?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">During Operation Safed Sagar in 1999, No. 17 Squadron flew MiG-21s on low-level night bombing missions in the Himalayan valleys under Wing Commander BS Dhanoa. Its flight commander, Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, was killed on 27 May 1999 and posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Who was Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja was the flight commander of No. 17 Squadron during the Kargil war. On 27 May 1999 his MiG-21 was hit by a Stinger missile while he helped search for Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa, whose MiG-27 had suffered an engine flameout. Ahuja ejected but was killed, and was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>How long did No. 17 Squadron fly the MiG-21?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">No. 17 Squadron converted to the MiG-21 in 1975 and flew it until the squadron was number-plated in 2016, a span of about 41 years.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Can I fly in a MiG-21?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. MiGFlug offers a supersonic <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/mig-21-launch\/\">MiG-21 flight<\/a> from Florida, USA, for a limited time. The 40-minute flight includes breaking the sound barrier, typically at around Mach 1.3, aerobatics and time at the controls.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the Golden Arrows squadron?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"The Golden Arrows is the nickname of No. 17 Squadron of the Indian Air Force, formed on 1 October 1951. 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MiGFlug offers a supersonic MiG-21 flight from Florida, USA, for a limited time. The 40-minute flight includes breaking the sound barrier, typically at around Mach 1.3, aerobatics and time at the controls.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/india-114-rafale-deal-decision-year-end-indian-weapons-no-fifth-gen-2026\/\">114 Rafale Deal: India Expects a Decision by Year-End<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/kargil-1999-operation-safed-sagar-mirage-2000-high-altitude-air-war\/\">The Air War Fought at 18,000 Feet<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/france-114-rafale-mrfa-india-offer\/\">France Puts 114 Rafales on India's Table<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No. 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows, marked 75 years at Ambala: Hunters over Goa, MiG-21s at Kargil, and India&#8217;s first Rafale unit.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":26296641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26296688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Golden Arrows at 75: No. 17 Squadron IAF History | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The IAF&#039;s No. 17 Squadron Golden Arrows turned 75 on 1 October 2026. 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