First Casualty Evacuation at Night by IAF Using Night Devices

New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) For the first time in the history of the Indian Air Force, its intrepid pilots successfully carried out a casualty evacuation at night using Night Vision Goggles through a narrow valley close to the border in the country's north-east region.

The Headquarters of the IAF Eastern Air Command was approached by an operational division of the Indian Army with an emergency request at 1630 hrs yesterday for evacuating two casualties, one with a serious head injury.

The helipad being located in the narrow valley close to the international border, the late hour of the day, marginal weather conditions and the deteriorating health of the casualty necessitated a prompt decision to undertake the evacuation in a helicopter using Night Vision Goggles.

Barely 12 minutes after the request had been received, the most qualified aircrew from Air Force Station Mohanbari were launched using a Mi-17 helicopter after meticulous planning and co-ordination.

Surmounting low visibility conditions and turbulent monsoon-induced weather, the Air Warriors were successfully in evacuating the patient from Kibitoo helipad to Jorhat Air Force Hospital.

The professional flying -- which involved about four hours of flight time -- was courageously undertaken enabling the saving of the lives of two critically injured soldiers, said an official spokesperson here.

UNI