- Director Kushal Srivastava and producer Rashmi Sharma are joining hands for a war drama ‘Golden Arrows’ based on the life of former Chief of Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa. ‘Dil Bechara’ helmer and casting director Mukesh Chhabra has commenced casting for different roles of the film.
- The former IAF Chief Dhanoa retired on September 30, 2019, after 41 years of glorious service to the nation. As Commanding Officer of a front line ground attack fighter squadron, he led the IAF punch against Pakistan to evict the enemy from their ‘dug in’ defences in the icy heights of Kargil region.
- Dhanoa was also instrumental in planning and executing a successful airstrike against the terrorist camp in Balakot, which is located across POK, in Pakistan, in February last year.
- The Rafale fleet, comprising three single-seater and two twin-seater aircraft, is being inducted into the IAF as part of its Ambala-based No 17 Squadron, also known as the ‘Golden Arrows’. The ‘Golden Arrows’ was resurrected on Sep 10 last year. It was originally raised on Oct 1, 1951.
- The ‘Golden Arrows’ 17 Squadron was commanded by then Air Chief BS Dhanoa during the Kargil war in 1999.
- The first batch of Rafale jets are scheduled to be formally handed over to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on 8 October in France and is set to arrive in India in May 2020.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the arrival of Rafale jets, and tweeted in Sanskrit, saying there is no virtue like protecting the nation and there is no vow like a defence of the nation.
- No. 17 Squadron was raised in Ambala on 1 October 1951 under the command of Flight Lieutenant D.L. Springett. It initially flew Harvard-II B. It was moved from the East to Delhi during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War to provide air cover for the capital. It was awarded its President’s Standard on 8 November 1988 at Palam.
- In 1975, the Squadron converted to Mig-21 M and in November 1988, the Squadron was presented ‘Colours’ by then President of India R Venkataraman.
- Under the command of the Wing Commander and current ACM BS Dhanoa, the squadron distinguished itself in Operation ‘Safed Sagar’ (or 1999 Kargil conflict).
- This Rafale squadron will be based in Ambala and operationally committed to the India-Pakistan frontier.
- The resurrected 17 Squadron aka Golden Arrows will be the first IAF squadron to be equipped with state of the art Rafale fighter aircraft. Rafale is an extremely capable, 4th generation, multirole aircraft with advanced weapons.
