UN PEACE KEEPING MISSION TO SUDAN FLAGGED OFF

New Delhi

January 13, 2010

An IAF contingent will be departing to Sudan as a part of the Indian UN Peace Keeping Mission. The contingent is led by Gp Capt TA Dayasagar. The contingent was flagged off by Director General (Inspection & Safety) Air Marshal TS Randhawa, VM

Sudan has been in a state of turmoil since it attained freedom in 1956. Indian Armed Forces have been contributing to peace missions in the strife torn state since 2005 and have proved instrumental in bringing a semblance of normalcy to the state. Currently the Indian Air Force has one aviation contingent stationed in Sudan. The departing contingent is to replace the Indian Aviation Contingent headquartered at Kadugali, situated in the South-Central region of Sudan.

The contingent comprises 196 IAF personnel of diverse specializations. Flying operations, administration, logistics, technical and medical services from a part of the base set up in Sudan as the contingent is modeled on the lines of a regular Air Force base. The contingent includes six Mi-17 utility helicopters. The twin purpose of the contingent is to provide mobility to the UN staff/forces and logistical support.

The Mi-17s would be primarily used for troop insertion/extraction, casualty evacuation, logistic supply, search and rescue, reconnaissance and observation. The Indian contingent would also be maintaining an Aero Medical Evacuation Team at Sudan.

Addressing the Sudan bound Air Warriors, Air Marshal Randhawa said, “You are the ambassadors of peace and the Nation has very high expectations from you in terms of discipline, integrity and professional standards. Your predecessors have set high standards and you should aim to achieve even higher standards”. The Air Marshal congratulated every member of the contingent for being specially selected for the mission and expressed his confidence that they would keep the Tri-colour flying high.