<p>The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to re-equip 109 helicopter unit (HU) “The Knights”, one of the oldest and most commended helicopter unit at the air force station in Kangayampalayam at Coimbatore of Tamil Nadu.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Accordingly, the new aircraft were inducted on Thursday at a ceremony chaired by Air Marshal Jasbir Walia with the commanding Officer of 109 HU, Wg Cdr Ashok Kumar VM accepting the flight on behalf of the unit.<br /><br />The unit has been strategically placed as sentinel of south.<br /><br /> It acts as one of the first line of defence against any external aggression for the southern front as well as the angel of mercy while dealing with HADR missions.<br /><br />The unit was raised in 1961 at Chandigarh with MI-4 helicopters. The unit has achieved the highest standard in all tasks entrusted to it and has played a pivotal role in<br />operations such as Liberation Of Goa, Chinese aggression of 1962, Mizo Hill Operations, Indo-Pak war of 1971 and “OP Cactus”.<br /><br />The unit orchestrated one of the glorified missions in the history of helicopter operations “Op Pawan”. As part of the glorified history the unit was appropriately renamed “The Knights”.<br /><br />The unit was crowned the "Best Helicopter Unit" in 1989. As a recognition of its exalting and glorified history, the unit was awarded the Presidential Standard in 1991.mIn 2015, the unit flew innumerable sorties to provide instant relief to the flood-affected people in Andhra Pradesh and Chennai.<br /> </p>
<p>The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to re-equip 109 helicopter unit (HU) “The Knights”, one of the oldest and most commended helicopter unit at the air force station in Kangayampalayam at Coimbatore of Tamil Nadu.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Accordingly, the new aircraft were inducted on Thursday at a ceremony chaired by Air Marshal Jasbir Walia with the commanding Officer of 109 HU, Wg Cdr Ashok Kumar VM accepting the flight on behalf of the unit.<br /><br />The unit has been strategically placed as sentinel of south.<br /><br /> It acts as one of the first line of defence against any external aggression for the southern front as well as the angel of mercy while dealing with HADR missions.<br /><br />The unit was raised in 1961 at Chandigarh with MI-4 helicopters. The unit has achieved the highest standard in all tasks entrusted to it and has played a pivotal role in<br />operations such as Liberation Of Goa, Chinese aggression of 1962, Mizo Hill Operations, Indo-Pak war of 1971 and “OP Cactus”.<br /><br />The unit orchestrated one of the glorified missions in the history of helicopter operations “Op Pawan”. As part of the glorified history the unit was appropriately renamed “The Knights”.<br /><br />The unit was crowned the "Best Helicopter Unit" in 1989. As a recognition of its exalting and glorified history, the unit was awarded the Presidential Standard in 1991.mIn 2015, the unit flew innumerable sorties to provide instant relief to the flood-affected people in Andhra Pradesh and Chennai.<br /> </p>
