Air Force & Aviation

  Alouette III, Kilo Flight, Bangladesh, 1971   The Indian Army had been helping the Mukti Bahini, through   Operation Jackpot , since May 1971, while the Indian Navy had helped set up the Bengali Naval commando unit and had provided command staff for the Bengali gunboats, which were busy mining riverine craft and harassing merchant marine operations in East Pakistan. The IAF could not come to grips with the PAF until formal hostilities commenced, but the Bengali airmen joined in as 9 Bengali pilots and 50 technicians - formerly of the PAF and serving with the Mukti Bahini in various capacities - were gathered for a special mission on 28 September 1971 at   Dimapur   in   Nagaland   A number of Bengali civilian pilots from the PIA later joined this group. Indian civilian authorities and the IAF donated 1   DC-3 Dakota   (gifted by the Maharaja of   Jodhpor ), 1   Twin Otter   plane, and 1   Alouette III   helicopter for the newborn Bangladesh Air Force, which was to take advantage of t