3 Squadron (Cobras) was formed on 1 October 1941 at Peshawar equipped with Hawker Audax light bombers[3] transferred from No.
Tasked with the role of fighter reconnaissance,[4] the third squadron initially operated two flights of eight Audax aircraft.
The Third Squadron was first deployed in December 1941 on a mission in the North-West Frontier Province, against the insurgency of the Faqir of Ipi, in an area that is now part of Pakistan.
2 Sqn, was placed on what has been termed "Watch and Ward"[4] operations and "Air Blockade", ostensibly CAS and tactical bombing.
It was moved back to Kohat in February and briefly was deployed against the resurgent tribal people in the North Western Frontier Province.
Led by Sqn Ldr Shiv Dev Singh, the unit arrived at Bawli North in January and commenced offensive flying in February 1945.
At the beginning of April the Squadron was involved in road blocking sorties and in attacks on targets in the Taungup pass area with delayed action bombs.
3 Sqn was moved to St Thomas Mount at Madras in April and then to Risalpur in a training role in September.
This was completed by December 1946 and command of the unit was assigned to Sqn Ldr Mohan Dev Suri in January 1947, which was followed by a move to Pune.
In a run of bad fortune, the next commanding officer, Sqn Ldr AR Pandit, also suffered severe injuries when his Tempest crashed whilst taking off on 9 December 1947.
4 Squadron flying from Gannavaram, became involved in close air support to the advancing Indian troops.
In January 1956, Flt Lt Jagat Lowe carried out the first crash-landing of an Ouragan when his nosewheel failed to lock on.
A year later, there was another fatality, as Flt Lt C S Raj died when his Mystère crashed during a low level sortie.
3 was put on standby when the initial skirmishes broke out in the Rann of Kutch, and remained on alert through August with the pilots flying on regular training and recce sorties.
No.3 continued to provide ground support in these initial days of the conflict, which was shaping up even before the formal breach of the IB.
Flying at dawn from Pathankot towards Chhamb, the Mystères lured out a roving CAP of six Sabres and two Starfighters.
[6][8] The strike, led by Sqd Ldr Sajad Haider, was carried out by an eight-ship mission of Sabres of the PAF's No.
The first of these strikes, a three ship mission led by Sqn Ldr Jasbir Singh, found the airfields at Chander and Rahwali abandoned.
[6] A change of command occurred midway, as Wg Cdr S Bhattacharya took over from Paul Robey, who had fallen sick.
The unit successfully flew in interdiction against Pakistani Armour in the Chawinda area, destroying a sizeable enemy concentration on 19 September.
During the last mission of the war, on 22 December, Fg offr Ramchandani's Mystere was shot down in friendly fire near Lahore.
The unit lost two Mystères and two pilots in operational accidents: Sqd Ldr Jasbir Singh died when he flew into the ground, and Fg Offr Ramchandani was killed by friendly fire.
Four Mystères were lost on the ground to the PAF air raid at Pathankot in the opening stages of the war.
Flying in interdiction against targets in the Christian Mandi area, the Cobras destroyed a fuel train in their first strike.
Over the following days, the Cobras hit troop and armour concentrations and ammunition dumps in the Haveli Pattan and Fazilka Suleimanke area.
In interdictions against secondary targets, the Cobras also hit and destroyed entire railway yards, tank transport train and rail bridges.
The Cobras' role in these missions are judged to be one of the main reasons for the failure of the Pakistani Strike Corps to launch their attack on India.
[11] The Squadron received two Vir Chakra awards: one went to CO Wg Cdr Dogra; the other went to Sqn Ldr Jasjit Singh.
3 Sqn moved back to Hindon Airbase after the war and in January 1972 started converting to the Mig 21FL and completed conversion in April of the year.
In May 2019, it became the first squadron to host a fully commissioned women fighter pilot Bhawana Kanth of the Indian Air Force.