Indian Air Force a commanding officer with the rank of wing commander. Some transport squadrons and helicopter units are headed by a commanding officer with the rank of group captain. Flights are sub-divisions of squadrons, commanded by a squadron leader. Each flight consists of two sections. The smallest unit is the section, led by a flight lieutenant. Each section consists of three aircraft. Within this formation structure, IAF has several service branches for day-to-day operations. They are: In September 2004, the IAF established its own special operation unit called the Garud Commando Force, consisting of approximately 1,500 personnel. For starting this special force
Squadron leader it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the rank that later became squadron leader would have been air lieutenant commander. However, the Admiralty objected to this modification of their rank titles. The rank title squadron leader was chosen as squadrons were typically led by RAF majors and the term squadron commander had been used in the Royal Naval Air Service. The rank of squadron leader has been used continuously since 1 August 1919. From 1 April 1918 to 31 July 1919, the