The Hindu : National : Night rescue by IAF for first time

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Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007
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National

Night rescue by IAF for first time

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force for the first time successfully completed a casualty evacuation at night using night vision goggles (NVGs) through a narrow valley close to the border.

This is expected to boost the morale of jawans in remote posts who have seen their injured comrades having to endure the night before being rescued. In the absence of sophisticated equipment earlier, the IAF had to wait for daybreak before launching operations to take injured soldiers for specialised treatment.

The IAF’s Eastern Air Command was approached by an operational division of the Army with an emergency request on Monday evening for evacuating two casualties, one with a serious head injury. The helipad was located in the narrow valley close to the international border and the deteriorating health of the casualty necessitated a decision to undertake the evacuation in a helicopter.

According to official sources, 12 minutes after the request was received, the aircrew from the Mohanbari Air Force Station in Assam were launched using an Mi-17 helicopter. Battling low visibility, the crew was able to effect the evacuation from a helipad to the Jorhat Air Force Hospital.

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