In military parlance, when one talks about the air-power of a nation's defence forces, most of us generally draw a strong association with the Air Force of a nation. The lighting quick multi-role fighters like the Rafales, F-16s, MiGs, Sukhoi-30s; bombers like B-2s and Tu-57s, the missile-laden attack helicopters like Apaches, Kamovs and Mi-23/35s are the very first images which flash across one's mind.
While the general notion among most is that the armies around the world are tasked to protect the land frontiers of the nation with offensive and defensive both during war and peace, there also exists an element of air operations within the Army fold which often gets unnoticed and is understated.
Not as famed as the front-line infantryman, the 'Gunners' from the Artillery, the Tankman from the Armoured Corps or the 'Sappers' from the Engineers, the Air Observation Pilots (AOP) nicknamed the 'Aviators' from Aviation Corps are indeed a small yet elite arm who is a highly specialized force skilled in flying advanced military helicopters to undertake both combat as logistical based air operations.
Armies all over the world have their own distinct Aviation wing to provide battlefield support for their ground-based troops with airborne operations - combat and logistical in nature.The Army Aviation Corps is a Combat support arm of the Indian Army which provides both combat, utility as well as logistical support to the ground-based troops via airborne operations deployed in the frontiers areas along both the Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Kashmir, Ladakh and the Northeastern sectors amid the lofty Himalayan peaks.
The major roles of the Army Aviation Corps are to perform combat search and rescue (CSAR), artillery lifts, combat transportation of men and material, logistics relief, military prisoner transportation and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) in wartime and during natural disasters.
The Army Aviation has different types of helicopters earmarked for combat, utility, and logistical roles. While the attack helicopters like HAL Rudra (Armed Variation of HAL Dhruv) are equipped with anti-aircraft missiles and rapid-fire cannons to carry out low flying aerial assaults on moving enemy armoured columns, repulse airstrikes and also provide battlefield support to the ground troops, the utility choppers like HAL Cheetah and Chetak transport both men and material to the forward bases along the borders of our nation.
The HAL Cheetah and the Chetaks choppers for over 4 decades have been the backbone of the Army Aviation fleet carrying out gazillions of sorties during peacetime. The induction of the HAL Dhruv and the likely commissioning of the AH-64 Apache choppers in the near future has added an attacking dimension to aviation which for a long time was more utility-based.
Be it ice-laden highest battlefield in the Siachen Glacier, the cold and rugged desert of Ladakh, the highlands of the Himalayas in Kashmir or the dense jungles of the Northeast, the Aviators make regular sorties to ensure timely supply of rations, clothing, and medicines for the sustenance of armed forces personnel against the vagaries of nature.
The Army Aviation has seen an extensive role in combat operations in different types of terrain and warfare. If they carried out a one of its kind mission by transporting men and material to the 20000-feet high highest battlefield during the 1984 Siachen Conflict, they also undertook reco missions during India's peacekeeping role in the dense jungles of Sri Lanka during Operation Pawan.
The daredevil Air Observation pilots (AOP) of the Army Aviation Corps flew more than 2500 missions during the 1999 Kargil military conflict, with almost all missions flown in High Altitude areas, close to and under enemy observation and at times under hostile and effective enemy fire.
During peace, the Army Aviation renders yeoman service to the nation by undertaking relief and rescue operations work in disaster-struck areas affected by natural calamities like floods, earthquakes. They aid the disaster-affected population by airdropping basic essentials like food, medicines, and clothing.
The rapidly changing dimension of military warfare has also brought about a tectonic shift in the role of Army Aviation. From starting off as Air Observation (AOP) units which served as an extended element of Field Artillery, the Army Aviation has taken a quantum leap in shaping up as a combat arm and has a pivotal role to play in the highly air warfare oriented military landscape ..
Here is a basic fact file of the Indian Army Aviation Corps
Formation - November 1, 1986
Type of Arm - Combat Support Arm
Officer Cadre - The Army Aviation draws its officers from all combat arms, mostly from the Artillery.
Roles - Aerial Assaults, Medical Evacuation, Artillery Lift, Rescue and Relief, Surveillance
Helicopter Fleet of Indian Army
Attack - HAL Lancer, HAL Rudra (Armed Version of HAL Dhurv)
Utility - HAL Chetak, HAL Cheetah, HAL DhruvThe Indian Government on Feb 20, 2020 cleared a USD 930 million deal for purchasing 6 Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters from the United States for the Indian Army.
Note: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has its own helicopter fleet and also flies some choppers which are in the command of the Army Aviation Corps
Helicopters In IAF Fleet: Apache AH-64E, Mi-17, Mi-24/35, HAL Dhruv, HAL Chetak, HAL Cheetah, CH-47 Chinook
Choppers In Naval Aviation Arm
Kamov Ka-27, Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk, Westland Sea King,HAL Chetak