No. 125 Helicopter Squadron IAF

No. 125 Helicopter Squadron (Gladiators) is a helicopter squadron and is equipped with Apache AH-64E and based at Pathankot Air Force Station.^[1] It is one of the two helicopter squadrons operating the AH-64E in India with the other being 137 Helicopter Squadron.

No. 125 Helicopter Squadron
Active	1 November 1983- Present
Country	Republic of India
Branch	Indian Air Force
Type	Attack Helicopter
Role	Close Air Support
Size	1 Squadron
Part of	Western Air Command
Garrison/HQ	Pathankot Air Force Station
Nickname(s)	"Gladiators"
Motto(s)	Balidaan Veerasya Bhushanam Sacrifice is jewel of Brave
Aircraft flown
Attack	Apache AH-64E

An Apache helicopter on the day of induction into the squadron.

History

The first Attack Helicopter Squadron of IAF was raised as 125 Helicopter Squadron on 1 November 1983 and equipped with Mi-25 helicopter Gunships. The squadron was reequipped with Mi-35 in April 1990.^[2] On 3 September 2019, the squadron formally inducted the first batch of AH-64E Apache helicopters into the Indian Air Force.^[3][4]

Assignments

• IPKF Jaffna Operations
• DRC Peacekeeping Mission

Aircraft

Aircraft	From	To	Air Base
Mil Mi-25 U	1 November 1983	May 1990	Pathankot AFS[5]
Mil Mi-35	June 1990	August 2019
Boeing Apache AH-64E	3 September 2019	Present[4]

Incidents

On 3 April 2024, an Apache helicopter of the Indian Air Force made a precautionary landing in Ladakh region during an operational training sortie. The aircraft was damaged during the incident due to the rugged terrain and high altitude conditions. Both the pilots were safe. This marked the first such incident involving an Apache in India.^[6][7] By September, the assembly parts of the helicopter, based in Pathankot Air Force Station, was transported from the landing site North of Khardung La to Leh via road on a truck for further airlift. The aircraft would be repaired either in its home base or a Base Repair Depot in IAF.^[8]