Siachen Falcons – The flying pillars behind our soldiers at Siachen

 Ever wondered how the soldiers serving at Siachen or the line of actual control manage to sustain under uninhabitable conditions? How do they get their medical-aid, food, ammunition and artillery supplies at such immense heights?                           

If yes, then the answer to the questions above and to every soldier serving at Siachen is none other than the ‘Army Aviation Corps’- one of the youngest Corps in the Indian Army, but did you know that it was in fact a subsidiary of  the IAF before transferring its complete jurisdiction over to the army?

Though playing a major role in Siachen, this unit of the army has an exposure to all kinds of terrain, from deserts, plains, forests and high mountains to perpetually frozen battlefields.  Army aviators in short are the driving force multiplier who provide rapid movement of men and material at short notice

A quick time travel to the pre independence era gives us the roots of the aviation corps. As a part of raising of the Army Aviation wing of the then ‘Royal Air Force’ in 1942, it was then subsequently formed as the first Indian Air Observation Post in August 1947. Although officially The Corps was raised as a separate formation on November 1 in 1986.Since then it has proudly celebrated 35 glorious years of service to the nation.

But as always it’s the soldier who makes it all count in the end and even after a tiresome sortie look what Major Sudeep(pilot of HAL Dhruv helicopter), who has completed 2 tenures at Ladakh has to say about his daily motivation for flying- “

Yes definitely, the glow and the light of hope that we see on the soldier’s face after we bring them the supplies , deliver rakhi’s during Raksha bandhan or even while evacuating them during medical causalities ,all the pain, sweat and efforts seem worthwhile and fulfilling. I don’t think anyone can experience the joy and contentment that we feel when we see them so happy after seeing us.” Such is the mutual admiration and respect between the units of the Indian army, where one soldier is ready to put his life on the line because of the assurance he gets from thousand’s other just like him, willing to do the same. 😊

In fact as difficult as it is for the soldier protecting the nation at Siachen, it is equally daunting for the pilot delivering the logistic support to them in such unreliable environment. For instance the sorties that start at 9000 ft end up going to 23000 ft. above sea level ! hence, accounting for the unpredictable weather and the high altitude of the glacier, the army aviation corps is the worlds only armed force that has ever served in such inaccessible areas. Not even the worlds finest air force- the US air force, has ever served in such grim conditions!

Now here’s something we are sure you didn’t know!

The helicopters that are used by the Army Aviation Corps to service at Siachen have to be maintained daily at high priority and the ones that do so are highly trained ‘Majors’ and engineering officers in the army who have completed advanced courses in Air Traffic Control and complex air machines like the ‘Dhruv’ and ‘Cheetal’. Imagine the plethora of technicalities they would have to deal with in their day to day tasks!

‘Pilots needed heroes so god created aircraft maintenance technicians ‘- a very quirky yet apt quote written in the Ladakh operation quarter of the Army Aviation corps which accurately depicts the significance of the role played by the highly qualified maintenance staff in every pilot’s successful sortie!

These officers and supervisors have an exceptionally crucial job to do- to give 100% assurance to the pilot of an up to date helicopter whose every technicality has been verified. The intricacies they follow to do so are to a T, with no room even for the tiniest of a mistake. Its only after all the sensibility checks that are done and tested, that the pilot is then assured of a safe sortie in the mighty ranges of Siachen.

 So do you get an idea of the responsibility these technicians carry on their shoulders?, not just of the pilot but also of the soldiers serving at Siachen who depend on them to make the helicopter for the pilot ready for a safe sortie to ultimately deliver their essentials to them at Siachen.

However, the most challenging aspect of a maintenance crew’s job profile according to Naik Amit Sangwan who has been working from the past 16 years is the weather. Ranging from -25 degrees to -35 degrees, these officers start their duty from 3:30 am in the morning till the sun sets in the west. Despite the limited oxygen in the area that poses as a primary hinderance to the activities of the crew, they are highly resolved to deliver the perfect and secure performance of a thoroughly checked helicopter.

People like us can only ever imagine waking up at 6 in our day to day lives! and here they are just like us, willing to live a tough life, to serve people like you and us amidst harshest of the conditions possible. IndianBuff salutes the spirits of all these hidden gems, who relentlessly work behind the scenes for the survival of  all our valiant soldiers .

 

JAI HIND!

Hello all! Thank you for spending your precious time reading this, we sincerely hope you learnt and appreciated something you probably never knew before about the Indian armed forces. Would you like to be a part of this prestigious segment of the army? What are your thoughts, do let us know in the comment section below!                                        

Until next time! Stay Safe!

Adios 😊