As the summer of 1951 gave way to a stormy autumn, the Indian Air Force found itself in a bind. Tensions with Pakistan were reaching a dangerous crescendo, and war over Kashmir was once again on the horizon. The signs were all there—troop movements, frontier deployments, and an ominous silence from diplomatic channels.
And yet, the Air Force was nowhere near prepared.
With just ten operational squadrons, a shoestring budget, and neither the men nor the machines to spare, the IAF pulled off one of the fastest and least acknowledged expansions in its history. In just eight weeks between August and October 1951, the service raised four fighter squadrons—Nos. 14, 15, 16, and 17. These squadrons were assembled from training cast-offs and spare parts, held together by equal parts determination and desperation. Against all odds, these makeshift units would become the foundation of India’s jet-age air power.
Numbered like rebellious teenagers, this is the story of India’s “Emergency Teens.”
IAF’s Fragile Post-War Foundations
By the end of World War II, the Indian Air Force had grown into a 10-squadron force. These squadrons numbered 1 to 12 sequentially, skipping Nos. 5 and Nos. 11, as those units were concurrently operating Royal Air Force (RAF) units in India. Following Partition in 1947, three of these squadrons—Nos. 1, 6, and 9 were allocated to the newly formed Pakistan Air Force. The Indian Air Force was left with just seven active squadrons.
Over the next few years, the IAF slowly rebuilt. 101 Photo Reconnaissance Flight was established in 1948, No. 5 Squadron was raised in 1949, and No. 11 Squadron followed in 1951. This brought the IAF’s strength to the ten squadrons mandated by the Defence Committee of the Cabinet.
But the Air Force brass was acutely aware that this was not enough. As early as 1948, the Planning Directorate at Air Headquarters had prepared a blueprint that called for a minimum of twenty operational squadrons, along with the necessary support elements, to meet the air defence needs of independent India. The Chiefs of Staff Committee cleared this plan for submission to the government in 1949.
However, for fiscal and political reasons, the Cabinet’s Defence Committee only authorised a limited expansion, to 10 squadrons in the near term, with the infrastructure to eventually support 20. The message to the IAF was clear: wait your turn.
Crisis at the Border: Why 1951 Changed Everything
But by mid-1951, the geopolitical climate had changed dramatically. India and Pakistan once again stood at the brink. In Kashmir, tensions were rising. Troops were mobilised on both sides. Intelligence and media reports indicated that a second war might be imminent.
A now-declassified CIA note from September 1951 starkly observed:
India and Pakistan have once again reached a critical state of tension over Kashmir. The military forces of both countries are deployed opposite each other on the frontiers. In the event of war, there will almost certainly be fighting not only in Kashmir, but also in the Punjab and probably East Pakistan (Bengal). It is unlikely that the UN could effect a cease-fire.
Air Headquarters was under no illusion: the IAF’s existing force structure was inadequate for a full-spectrum war. And waiting for government approvals would be catastrophic. In this climate of imminent conflict, the IAF decided to act.
From Paper to Power: How Emergency Squadrons Were Born
With neither government sanction nor a formal allocation of budget or aircraft, the IAF was unofficially told to prepare “emergency units” in anticipation of future approval. It was a bureaucratic sleight of hand—squadrons would be raised “on paper” with bare-bones staff and whatever airframes could be spared or borrowed. Their status would remain in limbo until formalised.
On August 15, 1951, two new units—Nos. 14 and 15 Squadrons were formed. On September 16, No. 16 Squadron followed. Finally, on October 1, No. 17 Squadron was raised. The IAF had expanded by 40% in just under eight weeks—even if only nominally.
But raising a squadron on paper is one thing. Operationalising it is quite another. With no aircraft production ecosystem and a dire shortage of spares, the IAF was forced to cannibalise from its training establishments. Harvards, Tempests, and a dwindling stock of Spitfire XVIII aircraft were hurriedly pulled from training use and reassigned to these new units.
No. 14 Squadron
Date Raised: 15 August 1951
Location: Ambala
Initial Aircraft: Spitfire XVIII, Harvard
First CO: Sqn Ldr Blunt
At Ambala, the birth of No. 14 Squadron was marked by a sense of raw energy. Eleven officers—including two from the Indian Navy—formed its initial cadre, with aircraft diverted from No. 1 Air Force Academy. The squadron adopted the motto Balam Jayaya—“Strength leads to victory”—and soon earned the nickname “The Bulls.” It moved to Barrackpore in early 1952.
When the Air Force Academy shifted from Ambala to Secunderabad, it left behind 14 Spitfires—11 of them unserviceable. No. 14 Squadron received half of these. Its First CO, Sqn Ldr L.R.D. “creamy” Blunt, had flown Spitfires in Kashmir in 1947 and became the only IAF Spitfire pilot awarded the Vir Chakra.
The Air Force Academy at Ambala was moved to Secunderabad, leaving behind 14 Spitfire aircraft, 11 of which were initially unserviceable. No. 14 Squadron was allotted half of these. When with No. 1 AFA Ambala, Blunt was one of the first pilots to attack leading elements of the Pakistani invasion of Jammu and Kashmir in end October 1947 and became the only Spitfire pilot to be decorated with a gallantry award – the VrC – for that action.
For nearly six years, No. 14 Squadron remained a propeller-driven unit. It was not until September 1957 that the squadron finally entered the jet age with the Vampire at Halwara, the last from among the emergency squadrons. Ultimately, the last 14 Squadron Spitfires were ferried out to various IAF bases to be used as decoys.
No. 15 Squadron
Date of Formation: 15 August 1951
Location: Ambala
First CO: Squadron Leader Edul J. Dhatigara
Initial Aircraft: Spitfire XVIII
Also raised at Ambala, No. 15 Squadron was designated as a Fighter-Bomber unit from the start. Operational training followed a compressed syllabus laid out by Operational Command. The squadron flew intense live-firing sorties at the Khajuria Range for five straight days, firing 20mm cannons and .5-inch guns to bring crews up to speed. The squadron also boasted two of the first four Naval Pilots to fly the Spitfire – Lieutenants Acharya and Joginder Singh.
Interestingly, the formation of both Nos. 14 and 15 coincided with Ambala’s transition into a fully operational base, leaving the training role behind, designated No. 307 Wing—later renamed No. 7 Wing.
In January 1953, 17 months after it was formed, No. 15 Squadron was disbanded. But this wasn’t a dissolution—it was a resurrection. The unit was reconstituted as the premier No. 1 Squadron, taking over its prestigious lineage. As its Squadron Record Book proudly recorded:
“It was a great honour bestowed on this Squadron for its resuscitation to the premier No. 1 Squadron, I.A.F… an ideal fighter bomber squadron in flying and administration.”
Vampires arrived in February 1953, transforming the squadron into a jet-age combat unit. When No. 1 Squadron converted to the Vampire in February 1953, all Spitfires went back to CTU at Hakimpet and a few to No. 14 Squadron.
No. 16 Squadron
Date of Formation: 16 September 1951
Location: Poona
First CO: Squadron Leader A.S.M. Bhawnani
Initial Aircraft: Tempest II
The story of No. 16 Squadron is one of the most overlooked yet illustrative examples of the difficulties the Indian Air Force faced in building capability during its formative years.
Although officially sanctioned by Operational Command Directive No. 2/52 as of 16 September 1951, the squadron did not begin functioning as an operational unit until several months later. It wasn’t until 1 March 1952 that the squadron’s orderly room was activated. Posted airmen began arriving slowly thereafter. By the end of that month, only 30 of the 37 allotted had reported for duty.
The aircraft situation was no less grim. Six Tempest II aircraft had originally been earmarked for the unit, but four were quickly reallocated to No. 1 Air Force Academy for training duties. The remaining two arrived, but even these weren’t flown with complete confidence.
An internal policy decision—possibly from maintenance or safety concerns—appeared to limit flying to just two operational aircraft at a time, while others were placed in cold storage. Further setbacks followed. In December 1953, a Tempest was reassigned to No. 4 Squadron. Another airframe was directed to be sent to No. 1 Base Repair Depot (BRD)
A new commanding officer, Squadron Leader G.V. Francis, arrived from No. 3 AFA on 26 April 1954, taking over command to transform the squadron into an operational unit. That transformation finally came in August 1954, when No. 16 Squadron was selected for a complete role change—from fighter to bomber squadron—by converting to the Consolidated B-24 Liberator.
This change was nothing short of monumental. From being a stuttering unit with almost no flying activity, No. 16 Squadron became one of the IAF’s few long-range bomber squadrons.
Yet, curiously, the official unit history for No. 16 Squadron remains silent on much of this early history. It omits the names of its first two commanding officers and overlooks its formation struggles entirely—almost as though the squadron only began life once the Liberators arrived.
No. 17 Squadron
Date of Formation: 1 October 1951
Location: Adampur
Initial Aircraft: Harvard IIB
First Officer Commanding: Flt Lt D.L. Springett
No. 17 Squadron’s formation capped off the teenage quartet. Raised on 1 October 1951 under the command of Flight Lieutenant D.L. Springett, the squadron was initially based at Adampur and designated for a particular role—tactical reconnaissance.
Its authorised aircraft strength was 12 Harvard IIB trainers, but availability was a constant issue. As of September 1952, only four aircraft had been delivered to the unit. Even these were stretched thin across conversion flying, tactical drills, and administrative ferrying.
The squadron’s first year saw rapid command turnover. Flight Lieutenant G.C.V.S. Nallayya (2770) GD(P) took over from Springett on 1 September 1952, and then Flight Lieutenant K.N.M. Panicker assumed command on 3 December 1952. This frequent change in leadership reflected the broader uncertainty surrounding the squadron’s future and role.
By 17 January 1953, the unit had dwindled to just two Harvards, of which one had exceeded its maximum flight hours and was awaiting disposal to No. 1 BRD. The squadron’s ability to fulfil even the most basic flying programme was severely curtailed.
Even after a re-equipment plan was approved in April 1954, authorising 16 Vampire Mk.52 fighters and 2 Vampire T.11 trainers, the actual conversion was painfully slow. As late as mid-1955, the squadron’s available aircraft remained a pitiful five Harvards—only two airworthy.
Operational flying was hampered not only by a lack of airframes but also by a lack of specialised equipment. As a reconnaissance squadron, it required airborne cameras and other photo-mapping gear—none of which were available. Training in aerial photography was largely theoretical, and the aircrew’s morale sagged with each passing month.
Finally, in September 1955, No. 17 Squadron received its much-awaited Vampires—seven Mk.52s, one T.11 trainer, and a single surviving Harvard. This delivery marked the first time the squadron could call itself an operational fighting unit.
The arrival of jet aircraft transformed not only the squadron’s capability but also its morale and sense of identity. For the first time, its pilots could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the IAF’s frontline fighter units. The Harvard, which had soldiered on for years as the squadron’s sole workhorse, was soon retired, closing a hard but defining chapter in No. 17’s evolution.
Late But Vital: When Delhi Finally Said Yes
While the IAF had already raised these four squadrons under emergency conditions in 1951, formal government approval for expansion to a 15-squadron force came much later, in December 1953. Even then, the ramp-up was slow. It wasn’t until March 1957 that these squadrons could be fully staffed, equipped, and operationalised as fighting units in the truest sense.
The expansion effort ran up against the same old problem: aircraft availability. India’s search for alternative suppliers had yielded little. In the end, the country once again turned to Britain. The Vampire was the first post-Independence jet inducted into the IAF, but financial and production constraints meant that quantities remained low. The Liberator bomber was a salvaged surplus from American wartime stocks. And even that was a lucky accident.
The Lost Legacy of the Teen Squadrons
Today, Nos. 14, 15, 16, and 17 Squadrons are regular, active components of the Indian Air Force. Each has accumulated a distinguished operational history. But their first years—their formative years—are too often glossed over or entirely forgotten.
Many official histories prefer to start from the date of aircraft conversion to Vampires or Liberators, skipping the makeshift beginnings on Spitfires, Harvards and Tempests. No. 16 Squadron’s published history doesn’t even name its first two commanding officers. No. 17’s reconnaissance work with worn-out Harvards barely receives a footnote. Yet it is precisely in these obscure, under-resourced years that these units proved their mettle, sustaining themselves on borrowed aircraft, battling administrative neglect, and laying the groundwork for India’s transition into the jet age. The Emergency Teens may have been born of crisis, but matured into enduring pillars of Indian air power.
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