Army Aviation Corps Celebrates 34th Raising Day

New Delhi: Army Aviation Corps celebrated its 34th Raising Day on Friday, November 1, 2019. To mark the occasion, a Wreath Laying Ceremony was held at National War Memorial, India Gate, New Delhi. Wreaths were laid by Lt Gen Anjan Mukharjee (Retd) and Maj Gen AK Suri, ADG Army Aviation, in presence of a host of serving and retired aviation personnel.

Army Aviation Corps has grown from an arm with limited Reconnaissance & Observation assets into a potent aerial manoeuvre arm of the Indian Army. Combat aviation assets with modern avionics, electro-optics and weapon systems can perform multiple tasks in the entire spectrum of conflict in varied and inhospitable terrain including high altitude areas.

The journey of the last 33 years for the Army Aviation Corps, since its raising, has witnessed both qualitative and quantitative growth. The Arm, in its relatively short journey, has remained poised towards expansion and modernisation. The Arm has been supported very well by the organisation and remains committed to be a major game-changer as a potent force multiplier in future.

The Background

The Army Aviation Corps is a component of the Indian Army, formed on 1 November 1986. The aviation arm is headed by a Director-General of the rank of Lt General at the Army HQ, New Delhi.

The army aviation pilots are drawn from other combat arms, including artillery officers, to form a composite third-dimensional force for an integrated battle. IAF operates & flies attack Helicopters like the Mi-25, Mi-35 and HAL Rudra which are owned and administered by the Indian Air Force, but under the operational control of the Army & play a major role to support the armoured columns and infantry. Apart from the attack role, helicopters like the HAL Chetak, HAL Cheetah and HAL Dhruv provide logistical support for the Indian Army in remote and inaccessible areas, especially in the Siachen Glacier.

AAC also perform tasks like Combat search and rescue (CSAR), artillery lift, Combat transportation, logistics relief, military prisoner transportation and Medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) during the war and in the case of natural calamities.

The current Director-General of army aviation corps is Lt Gen Pranab Kumar Bharali.