Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated in India in honour of the sacrifices made by Indian Army and Indian Air Force soldiers during the Kargil war in 1999. The Kargil War was a military conflict between India and Pakistan that was fought in the mountainous Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir between May and July 1999. The fighting took place along the Line of Control (LoC), the actual border dividing the regions of India and Pakistan. It’s a day to honour the martyrs of Kargil, to remember the sacrifice of our brave soldiers, to protect and safeguard the integrity of the country.

The Indian Air Force also has a proud heritage of bravery and sacrifice by fighting valiantly in the Kargil war of 1999, which was indeed a milestone in the history of IAF operations. It’s a testimony to the IAF’s ability to overcome challenges. Rapid technical assessment and on-the-job training positioned the IAF to win this war fought at the world’s highest level of war. IAF flew approx. 5000 strike missions, 350 reconnaissance / ELINT missions and 800 escort aircrafts. The IAF also deployed more than 2,000 helicopters for air transport operations and casualty evacuation.

Mighty Armour, the 152nd helicopter squadron based at Air Force Base Sarasawa, played a key role during Op Safed Sagar (Kargil War). On 28^th May 1999, Sq LDR Pundir, Flt Lt S Muhilan, Sgt PVNR Prasad and Sgt RK Sahoo of 152 HU were given the task of flying as ‘NUBRA’ formation against enemy positions at Tololing. After successfully launching the attack, their helicopter was hit by an enemy Stinger missile that claimed four precious lives of our brave IAF soldiers. For this act of extraordinary courage, they were awarded the Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry), posthumously. Their sacrifice made sure that their names are perpetually etched in the history of the Indian Air Force.