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Arguably sporting the most original Squadron crest in the Indian Air Force, the ‘Black Archers’ have been synonymous with No. 47 Squadron, whose Ouragans, MiG-21FLs and now MiG-29Bs have proudly carried this insignia for decades.

Celebrating eh Golden Jubilee of its foundation on 1 December 2009, but unlike other new raisings, No. 47 squadron literally got off to a ‘flying start’ at Halwara in December 1959, a new unit but with experienced hand flying and maintaining the French-origin Dassault Ouragan fighter-bomber. The Black Archers were chosen to mount the formation flypast and colour-loop over Rajpath on seven successive Republic Day parades, testimony to their flying skills.

But there was more to them than just showmanship: No. 47 Squadron won the coveted Inter-Command Tactical and Gunnery Trophy in their very first year of existence. The Squadron then moved east and were at Hashimara in 1968 when they moved black north, to Chandigarh for conversion to the supersonic MiG-21FL.

Soon enough, in 1971 was their tryst with destiny, when not only did the ‘Black Archers’ perform supersonic formation aerobatics during the Air Force Day display but in December that year were at the forefront of air defence and strike missions. Led by their enigmatic CO, the ‘Black Archers’ from Jamanagar, shot down an intruding F-104 Starfighter and then repeatedly attacked vital radar centre in Sindh. Other detachments kept the skies inviolable in northern India.

In 1978, the ‘Black Archers’ went black east, spending a near decade in Chabua, upper Assam, before being ‘hand-picked’ to convert onto the ‘most advanced fighters extant’. No. 47 Squadron were the first unit outside the Soviet Union to equip with the new generation MiG-29 coded ‘Fulcrum’ by NATO and this awesome interceptor fighter has been its mount since 1987. As this is being written, the MiG-29 fleet are under major upgradation with new avionics and weapon systems which will keep the ‘Black Archer’s’ bow fully stretched for its task in the decades to come.