The Blue Skies Podcast

In the last and final part of our interview with Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, we discuss his experiences inducting the Jaguar into IAF service. We also discuss his role in the repatriation of Flt. Lt. Nachiketa, during the Kargil War.

In Part 3 of our interview with Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, we discuss his experiences training with the Royal Air Force on the Jaguar Aircraft. He was among the first batch of 12 pilots to be trained on that deep penetration strike aircraft. Learn how he was taught to drop "bombs in a bucket" from the RAF.

In Part 2 of this 3-part interview with former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, we discuss the inter-war years, when he become a Pilot Attack Instructor, Instructor in the PAI school, participated in the 1971 War for the Liberation of Bangladesh, and became a Fighter Combat Leader.

Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, PVSM, AVSM, VM, joins us for a series of interviews on his career and experiences. In Part 1, we speak about his initial journey into the Air Force, and experiences flying Hunters in a frontline squadron during the 65 War with Pakistan. Air Chief Marshal Tyagi's profile is here: https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/8130 and his bio is here: https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/personnel/chiefs/shashi-tyagi/

This week's guest, AVM Samir Borade, VSM, speaks about the technical branch in the Indian Air Force. We learn about first, second, third and fourth line servicing, the MiG-29 Upgrade program, technical branch and flight safety, and the challenges of indigenization. AVM Borade's profile is here: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/18761 Read about the MiG-29 UPG program here: https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Galleries/Aircraft/Current/Fighters/MiG29UPG/

This episode is a narration of an article written by Air Mshl Harish Masand, himself a veteran of the 1971 War where he shot down a Sabre, on what might have transpired in AB Devayya's final sortie.

In this episode, aviation historian PVS Jagan Mohan joins me and we make an attempt to unravel the mystery behind the death of Sqn. Ldr. AB Devayya, MVC (Posthumous) on 7th Sept, 1965. The episodes includes interviews with officers who served with him, including on that fateful day. Sqn. Ldr. Devayya's profile is here: https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/4810 The India Today article Jagan references is here: https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/defence/story/19880415-squadron-leader-ayamada-bopayya-devayya-honoured-23-years-after-his-death-797132-1988-04-14

This week we speak to Wg. Cdr. SS Krishnamurthy, who is the young flying officer peering over Maj. Gen. JFR Jacob's shoulder in that iconic photograph of the surrender of Pakistan's Army in Dacca in December 1971. He talks of that experience, flying helicopters in Car Nicobar and the Antarctic, and more. Wg. Cdr. Krishnamurthy's profile is here: https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/11660 A link to his book is here: https://www.amazon.in/dp/1648288391/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_DC5WG0V97EXE394966E4

In this episode, we speak to Air Mshl Anil Khosla, who recently retired as Vice Chief of Air Staff. Besides his experiences as a young officer, we focus on the role he played in the Doklam stand-off (when he was C-in-C Eastern Air Command) and the strike at Balakot (when he was Vice Chief). We also discuss the pros and cons of indigenous vs imported weapons platforms, the future of air war, and the Air Force's talent strategy, among other things. Air Mshl Khosla's profile is here: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/15871 His blog can be found here: https://55nda.com/blogs/anil-khosla/ 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:00 Initial journey into IAF 00:13:14 Doklam incident 00:16:01 How to deal with China 00:19:09 Balakot 00:28:46 Maintain a tech edge 00:43:46 Future of air war 00:53:30 Finding talent for the IAF

In this weekend's episode, we speak to Air Cmde BS Siwach about a daring rescue from Mt. Nunkun, flying helicopters in the North East, VIP flying and most importantly, his role as the Air Force commander of the UN forces in Sierra Leone during Op Khukri, the daring rescue of our trapped soldiers. Air Cmde Siwach's profile is here. You can read more about Op Khukri here. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:16 Initial journey into IAF 00:08:55 Flying in the North East 00:14:38 Rescue on Mt. Nunkun 00:22:18 Safety consideration in Helo ops 00:24:11 Humanitarian relief operations 00:29:35 VIP Flying 00:39:56 Thoughts on Gen Rawat's accident 00:47:24 Op Khukri

Guest host and aviation historian Anchit Gupta takes us through the organization of the Air Forces in India prior to Independence.

In this interview we change gears to understand now a Surface to Air Missile (SAM) or Surface to Air Guided Weapon (SAGW) works. In an interview with a past guest of the program, Gp. Capt. Anil Kumar ("Toots") Ghosh, who commanded an SA-2 Dvina unit, we understand the intricacies of ground based detection of hostile targets and defence against them. Learn more about the SA-2 Dvina here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-75_Dvina

In Part 2 of the 2-part interview with Air Marshal BD Jayal, we discuss his leading the Jaguar Project Team (JPT) in the UK, how the IAF anticipates equipment requirements and plans for it, and what should be done about the threat environment in the Indian sub-continent. Air Marshal Jayal's profile is here: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/4972 A compilation of his writings in the Times of India are here, and in the Telegraph are here.

This week's interview is Part 1 of a 2-part interview with a legend of the IAF, Air Marshal BD Jayal. From a Tiger Moth to Mirage 2000 and everything in between, Air Marshal Jayal has flown it, 77 types and 4,200 hours, in fact. In Part 1 we discuss his early experiences flying Toofanis and Mysteres, converting to the MiG-21 in the Soviet Union as part of the first batch of Indians to train there, and becoming a test pilot. Part 2, covering Jaguar induction, Defence procurement, the Indian threat environment, etc., will come out next week. Air Marshal Jayal's profile is here: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/4972 A compilation of his writings in the Times of India are here, and in the Telegraph are here.

This week's interview features Wg. Cdr. Jai Singh Gahlawat, who saw action flying Hunters during the 1971 War for the Liberation Bangladesh, for which he was awarded a Vir Chakra. In great detail, he takes us with him as he mounts attacks deep in West Pakistan. Wg. Cdr. Gahlawat is also one of the Air Force's few A1 instructors, and we discuss those experiences too. Wg. Cdr. Gahlawat's profile is here. http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/11280. His Vir Chakra citation is a really thrilling read. 00:00:00 Guest introduction, journey into IAF 00:13:13 Commencement of hostilities 00:15:50 First mission: Strike Sakesar Radar 00:36:52 Destroying bridge in Kathua 00:43:38 Being attacked by 6 Mirages 00:48:00 Destroying tanks in Chhamb 00:53:10 Nearly shot down own Hunters 00:56:06 Becoming an A-1 Instructor

This episode features an interview with Gp. Capt. Sunil Palkar (Retd.), who was a Navigator on AN-12 aircraft during the 1971 war with Bangladesh and was in the lead aircraft for the famous Tangail paradrop. In addition to that mission, we discuss navigation in the AN-12, flying Caribous in the North East, Electronic Intelligence gathering, flying VIPs in the Boeing 737, etc.

This week's episode features PVS Jagan Mohan, co-author of "The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965", "Eagles over Bangladesh" and "The Westland Wapiti in the Indian Air Force" and others. He is also a pillar of the IAF section of the Bharat Rakshak website, and runs https://www.warbirdsofindia.com/ which documents locations of former military aircraft.

In this episode, we speak to Wg. Cdr. Namrita Chandi, who was among the first few batches of lady officers commissioned into the flying branch. Over 15 years in uniform, she flew over 2,000 hours in Chetaks and Cheetahs from the heights of Siachen to the deserts of Rajasthan. Wg. Cdr. Chandi's profile can be found here: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/24109

On 29 July, 1987, India first inducted troops into Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). Almost exactly 35 years later, we interview Gp. Capt Anil Kumar "Toots" Ghosh, who served two tenures as Base Commander as part of the IPKF. Gp. Capt. Ghosh's profile is here: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/6525 A gallery of photos on the IPKF is here: https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/ARMY/Galleries/Wars/SriLanka/

In this episode we return to a former guest, AVM Sunil Nanodkar, and do a deep dive into the first time the IAF participated in an exercise with friendly forces in the US, Cope Thunder, in Alaska. We understand what is meant by trail planning, the challenges of the long ferry, the missions they flew before and during the exercise, and the lessons learnt. AVM Nanodkar's profile can be found here: http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Database/16555 More on Cope Thunder is here: https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/cope-thunder.htm