No. 33 Squadron was initially formed as a unit on 09 Jan 1963 at 19 Wing Air Force at Guwahati with two Caribou aircraft. Subsequently it was re-designated as a squadron in Sep 1963 with 16 Caribou aircraft. Since unit’s formation in Jan 63, 33 Squadron moved to Mohanbari Air Field in Jan 72 and subsequently back to Guwhati Air force base. The Squadron was the sole operator of the type and extensively operated in the Advanced Landing grounds and forward airfields of the North East as well as Northern India. fter more than twenty-seven years of dedicated service under the Eastern Air Command, 33 Squadron left the hills and valleys of the East and migrated to its present location at Sulur in Jun 1991. The squadron was number plated on 31 Jul 1992. The squadron was resurrected on 27 Mar 2000 at Air Force Station Sulur and, till date, maintains the air bridge between the mainland and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This squadron took part in a big way in the Indo-Pak conflicts of 1965 and 1971. The squadron aircraft carried out effective day and night bombing, supply drop of ammunition and rations, para trooping, psychological warfare, air maintenance of front line units as well as reconnaissance and communication duties. With their inherent capability to carry out short take offs and landings, the squadron aircraft could operate at various advanced landing grounds in the hills of the north eastern regions of India. The squadron also carried out transport support tasks in counter-insurgency operations in the Mizo hills during Operation Zonga in 1965 and dropping of food for refugees during Operation Annapurna in 1971. The squadron had the distinction of spearheading the biggest ever formation of 56 aircraft in the history of the IAF. On 11 Dec 1971, two Caribou aircraft of 33 Squadron led the famous para drop at Tangail by dropping dummies a little distance away from the actual dropping zone, in order to confuse the enemy. The squadron had the distinction of flying out General Niazi, commander of the defeated Pakistani forces, from Dacca to Calcutta, and flying in Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, the erstwhile President of independent Bangladesh, from Calcutta to Dacca, after cessation of hostilities. In Nov 1986, the powerful An-32 aircraft were inducted into the squadron, which heralded a new era of rapid and efficient air transportation. The squadron was predominantly involved in Operation Pawan in support of the IPKF in Sri Lanka during 1987-88.Apart from the Andaman and Nicobar couriers, the squadron undertakes communication flights along with other routine route transportation commitments. For its dedicated service to the IAF, the President of India was pleased to award the ‘President’s Standard’ to No 33 Squadron Air Force in the month of Mar 2012. 19 Sqn was merged with 33 Sqn as well.