Operation Kaveri: IAF pilot use night vision goggle to land in Sudan
In a daring operation, a C-130J heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force, rescued 121 people from a small airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna.
New Delhi: Without any navigational aid, fuel, or landing lights, a C-130J heavy-lift aircraft of the Indian Air Force, in a daring operation. 121 people were rescued from a small airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna, which is about 40 kilometres north of the violence-hit Sudan capital of Khartoum, on the intervening nights of April 27 and 28.
The IAF said, “Approaching the airstrip, the aircrew used their electro-optical and infrared sensors to ensure that the runway was free from any obstructions and no inimical forces were in the vicinity. Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach on night vision goggles on a practically dark night.”
Those rescued in the operation carried out include a pregnant woman and others who had no means to reach Sudan Port, the key transit point from where India is rescuing its citizens using the military.
The crew used their electro-optical and infrared sensors to make sure the runway was clear of obstacles and that no hostile forces were in the vicinity. Knowing that the airstrip did not have any facilities to help with the rescue mission.
“Having made sure of the same, the aircrew carried out a tactical approach using night vision goggles on a practically dark night,” said one official.
“Upon landing, the aircraft engines were kept running while eight IAF Garud Commandos secured the passengers and their luggage into the aircraft. As with the landing, the takeoff from the unlit runway was also carried out using night vision goggles,” he said.
“This approximately two-and-a-half-hour operation between Wadi Sayyidna and Jeddah will go down in the annals of IAF history for its sheer audacity and flawless execution — akin to that carried out in Kabul,” the IAF official said.
The Indian Air Force’s Group Captain Ravi Nanda carried out the mission, according to defence sources.
#SudanConflict | In a daring operation carried out on the night of 27/28 Apr 2023, a C-130J aircraft of the IAF rescued 121 personnel from a small airstrip at Wadi Sayyidna, which is about 40 km North of Khartoum. The passengers included medical cases, including a pregnant lady;… pic.twitter.com/gTQv0w8Pul
— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023
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