MIG-23, INS Trishul to adorn War Memorial at Southern Command

City-based Headquarters, Southern Command is all set to dedicate a MIG-23 Bn fighter aircraft and a prototype of the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Trishul frigate 43 to cement the tri-service character of the Command on Vijay Diwas.




The Memorial already had a Vijayanta Main Battle Tank (MBT) for display. The tank was instrumental in decimating Pakistani defence and advance positions during the 1971 war.

This year an effort has been made to strengthen and cement the tri-service spirit as Southern Command happens to be the only tri-service theatre in the country, Colonel (A) Milan Mathur attached to the Pune Sub Area told the media during an interactive tour of the Memorial here on Monday.



He said the MIG-23 is a war trophy of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the machine was the last to fly to the Lohegaon Air Force station in its series. Besides, the aircraft has the unique distinction of being the first fighter aircraft to cross the Banhial Pass in Jammu & Kashmir during the night.



Apart from that, it played a vital role during Operation Safed Sagar launched in 1999 to evict Pakistan supported militants from the Kargil-Drass sectors. During the said operation the aircraft pounded the famous Tiger Hill peak again getting the distinction of being the only aircraft type to carrying the maximum weapon load over enemy positions in Kargil.



Col Mathur said the IAF used a towing tractor to tow the aircraft to the War Memorial after detaching its wings. “The whole exercise was undertaken during the night hours between 10 pm to 4 am to avoid disruption of traffic. Subsequently, cranes were pressed into service to install the aircraft on a pre-designed elevated platform built in the Memorial premises.”



Asked about the cost of the INS Trishul prototype, he said, “The prototype was made by a seaman based in Ratnagiri and it costed around Rs 2.5 lakh.” INS Trishul was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1960 serving the force for 32 years. The warship participated in Indo-Pak war, Operation Pawan and liberation of Goa in 1961.



On Wednesday, the Southern Command will commemorate the Vijay Diwas to celebrate the victory of the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Senior retired and serving officers from the tri-services would lay wreath at the Memorial along with the Mayor and the Police Commissioner of the city, he added.



Besides, schoolchildren and general public are also expected to come in large numbers to pay their respects, said Col Mathur.