The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) No.220 Squadron, also known as the Desert Tigers, commemorated 60 glorious years of excellence, valour and unwavering commitment to the nation at its home base in Halwara in Punjab on Sunday.
Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Air Command, Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia and Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command, Air Marshal JS Mann attended the squadron’s Diamond Jubilee along with a large number of serving personnel and veterans.
The event featured a spectacular display by the Air Warrior Drill Team, reflecting precision, discipline and teamwork at its finest. Adding to the thrill was a breathtaking performance by the Akashganga Skydiving Team.
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Presently commanded by Group Captain Omar Browne, the Desert Tigers have participated in decisive air campaigns in the 1965 and 1971 India – Pakistan Wars. They also undertook critical missions during the 1999 Kargil conflict and undertook an active role in Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
The squadron was raised in February 1963 at Pune on the Vampire aircraft, with Squadron Leader Norman Foster Watts at its first commanding officer. Its role for about next two years was operational conversion onto Vampire aircraft for newly commissioned pilots.
In 1965, its Vampires were deployed to attack Pakistani forces in the Chhamb Sector. The squadron moved to Jodhpur and was re-equipped with the indigenous HF-24 Marut fighters in April 1969, with which it went to war in 1971, carrying out crucial ground-attack missions and close air support to assist the Army on the Western Front.
In June 1981, the Desert Tigers converted onto the Soviet MiG-23BN ground attack fighters that saw action in Kargil. As part of Operation Safed Sagar, it was involved in strikes on Pakistan-held positions along the Line of Control at high altitudes.
In 1997, the squadron shifted to Halwara and continued to fly the MiG-23 till June 2005, when it was ‘number plated’, that is decommissioned, after its aging aircraft were retired. It was resurrected in September 2012 with the induction of the SU-30 MKIs and received the President's Standards by the then Supreme Commander, Pranab Mukherjee, in September 2013.
