[11] The PAF raids, a five-plane strike which had achieved total surprise, was followed up by a four-plane attack, which was opposed by Indian Interceptors, took place on 7 September, destroying several English Electric Canberra bombers and de Havilland Vampire aircraft on the ground,[12] while the IAF claimed 2 aerial kills (Pakistani sources record 1 F-86 lost).

Mid-air interceptions and dogfights rarely happened, and barring some skirmishing between the EPR and BSF along the border, the air forces of both countries were responsible for most of the combat activity in the eastern theater during the 1965 war.

[14] Following the war, the IAF continued its steady growth in combat capacity and logistical capabilities, while Pakistan boosted its squadron strength to 20 Canadair F-86 Sabres (although it neglected to expand its operational infrastructure substantially).

4 Army Aviation squadron's full contingent of six Mil Mi-8 and six Alouette III helicopters were stationed in Dacca on 14 April,[7] commanded by Lt. Col. Abdul Latif Awan.

[7] Pakistan Eastern Command had planned an operation named "Blitz" in February 1971 to counter the Bengali political movement, and the 13th Frontier Force and 22nd Baluch battalions had arrived in East Pakistan from Karachi[19][16] between 27 February and 1 March 1971, via PIA aircraft, before the Pakistani Air Force took over Tejgaon Airport administration[20] as part of the newly planned operation.

[25][26] After 26 March, Pakistani Army was initially confined to a handful of bases across the province, with control over airports near Jessore, Chittagong, Comilla, and Salutikar near Sylhet.

Army Aviation helicopters flew in supplies and reinforcements and evacuated wounded between 1 and 6 April from the besieged 25 Punjab Battalion in Rajshahi as PAF jets covering the helicopters bombed Mukti Bahani positions, and PAF also struck the 2nd and 4th EBR and EPR positions around Brahmanbaria, Ashuganj, Bhairab and other areas located between Sylhet and Comilla during the same time span.

After Mukti Bahini Sector 1 and Sector 2 troops repulsed 20 Baloch and 24 FF attacks on Belonia, a small strip of land surrounded on three sides by Indian territory, PAF Sabres, which had refrained from hitting Bengali positions fearing violations on Indian airspace, launched strikes while Army Aviation heli-dropped commandos at night behind Bengali positions on 17 June, and again on 18 June, forcing Mukti Bahini across the border.

The Bengali rank and file fixed up the World War II vintage runway at Dimapur, then began rigging the aircraft for combat duty.

The helicopter was rigged to fire 14 rockets from pylons attached to its side and had .303 Browning machine guns installed, in addition to having 1-inch (25 mm) steel plate welded to its floor for extra protection.

Squadron Leader Sultan Mahmood, Flight Lieutenant Badrul Alam, and Captain Shahabuddin Ahmed, all of whom later won the Bir Uttom award, operated the helicopter.

[15] After August 1971, the Mukti Bahini began to launch conventional attacks along the border areas, while groups of guerrillas and naval commandos stepped up their activities.

[78] Kilo Flight Otter and the helicopter took off from their respective bases after 9:30 PM and hit the oil depots at Naryanganj and Chittagong,[79] which the Mukti Bahini guerrillas had been unable to sabotage due to tight security.

14 Squadrons struck Tejgaon repeatedly, one raid occurred during the cease fire brokered by the UN and foiled the attempt to evacuate foreign civilians from Dhaka.

Pakistan Army 314th brigade (CO: Col. Fazle Hamid) used road and river transports to retreat to Dhaka at night due to the daytime dominance of IAF.

[citation needed] Air Commodore Inamul Haque Khan concluded that Tejgaon would remain inoperable due to IAF bombing for the rest of the war, so he decided to evacuate the Sabre pilots.

After their initial mission, Kilo Flight moved from Kailashahar to Agartala to cut down fuel usage and turn around time after 4 December 1971, and used Shamshernagar as a forward base.

[94] The Otter flew 12 and the Alouette 77 sorties between 4 and 16 December 1971,[95] about 40 of them were combat missions to attack ground targets in Sylhet, Comilla, Daudkandi and Narshingdi.

Gnats and Sukhoi Su-7s flew many missions in support of army units as they moved swiftly towards Dhaka, delivering ordnance (such as iron bombs) to take out enemy bunkers which occasionally posed an obstacle to the advancing infantry.

On 10 December, IAF heli-lifted troops of the IV Corps from Ashuganj to Raipura and Narsingi in what came to be termed Operation Cactus-Lilly (also known as the Helibridge over Meghna).

[103][104] Kilo flight crafts were part of the air cover, attacking Pakistani positions near Narshigndi, while Mukti Bahini organized about 300 local boats to ferry soldiers, cannons and munitions to augment the heli-borne operation.

[109] The fate of Pakistani naval vessels in December was ample proof of the soundness of this decision, and the repercussions of neglecting East Pakistan defense infrastructure, which was the reason the PAF could only station 1 squadron of planes there.

[116] Bengali Seaman Ruhul Amin, who tried to save BNS Palash despite being wounded and ordered to abandon ship, and who later died under torture after being taken captive, was awarded the Bir Shreshtro medal by the Bangladeshi Government.

[89] Pakistan Armed Forces Headquarters had issued orders to blow up all remaining the aircraft, but Air Commodore Inamul Haque Khan had pointed out that the sight of burning planes would demoralize the Pa kistani troops defending Dacca.

[citation needed] The government of Bangladesh awarded six Bir Uttom medals (Flight Lieutenant Sultan Mahmud, Shamsul Alam, Badrul Alam, Captain Akram Ahmed, Shahabuddin Ahmed and Sharafuddin) and six Bir Protik medals (Captains A.S.M.A Khaleque, Kazi Abdus Satter and Abdul Mukeet, Sergeant Shahidullah, Corporal Muzammel Haque and LAC Rustom Ali) to Kilo Flight Personnel.

[118] IAF awarded Vir Chakra to Squadron Leader Sanjay Kumar Chowdhury and FL Chandra Mohan Singla for their service in Kilo Flight.

[97] Pakistani forces had abandoned eleven Canadair F-86 Sabre jets, two T-33 Shooting Stars, one Alouette III and one Hiller UH-12E4 helicopter in Dhaka.

[126][127][128] Eastern Command devised four strategic concepts for the defense of East Pakistan, and when the final course of action was adopted, Mukti Bahini achievements and the assumed IAF dominance of the skies influenced their decision.

Pakistani planners expected the PAF to last 24 hours in the east, so IAF dominance would pose considerable threat to Pakistan troop convoys and can unhinge any strategy depended on mobility.

When devising troop deployments, the planners mixed political considerations with strategic ones and envisioned a forward-leaning defence in depth:[135][136][137][138] The short, but intense engagements between the Indian forces allied to Mukti Bahini and the Pakistani Army lasted only 14 days, between 3 and 16 December 1971.