March 28, 2024
A late production Gnat at a Military School in Punjab

In the northern district of Ropar in Punjab, is the small town called Anandpur Sahib, which is home to the Sri Dasmesh Academy – a military school that was first founded in the 60s.

HAL Gnat E1078 seen parked on the premises of the Sri Dasmesh Academy in Ropar District, Punjab. Photo Courtesy: Dasmesh Old Boys Website

The academy holds several relics from the Army, Air Force and Navy. A field gun and a Stuart tank from the army, and a model of a ship from the Navy are present. The airforce is represented by a lone HAL Gnat [E1078].

Not much is known about E1078, but by the sequence of its serial, it was probably one of the last Mark 1 Gnats produced by HAL before production switched to the Mark 2 Ajeet.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *