No. 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. The unit had been assigned a new CO, Wg Cdr Paul Robey, in April. The first offensive sorties were undertaken on the evening of 1 September, when No. 3, along with Squadron No. 31, flew 16 sorties in 45 minutes against Pakistani Armour at Chamb.Air Attack-Outbreak of the war (Sept 1st–6th). Bharat Rakshak, 1965 Air Operations The first missions were launched immediately following a strike mission by a Vampire flight of the No. 45 Squadron that went disastrously wrong. The PAF, which had provided air cover against the earlier disastrous mission undertaken by the Vampires, chose not to provide opposition and before the end of the day, the Pakistani offensive had been blunted.
